# Alfalfa predictions



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Here is another Agweb article about tight alfalfa supplies and 2012 growers outlook. Pretty good read.

http://www.agweb.com/article/hay_remains_tight/

Regards, Mike


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Nice article. I sure hope we have water to irrigate this year for the full season. Even if more acres would be planted in Alfalfa this spring all that extra production won't be in full effect until 2013. In my area newly planted alfalfa doesn't produce all that much the first year if planted in the spring. Plus there are the older fields that are decreasing on production every year as the stands get old.


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## wappmanb (Nov 15, 2010)

Does alfalfa use less water than a mixed grass hay? I am new and it seems that the large alfalfa operations are in states that are normally dry ( CA, ID, CO etc.)

Bruce


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

wappmanb said:


> Does alfalfa use less water than a mixed grass hay? I am new and it seems that the large alfalfa operations are in states that are normally dry ( CA, ID, CO etc.)
> 
> Bruce


Alot of that is irrigated.Not sure on actual usage but alfalfa roots are deeper so tend not to go dormant as quick as some grasses in a dry spell.

I don't think there will be much of a increase in alfalfa acres with $6 corn


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Yes Alfalfa uses much less then grass hay here in Colorado. We have orchard and brome fields that we have to irrigate every 1.5-2 weeks in the summer. Alfalfa maybe once in every 3 weeks. Grass hay also requires much much more fertilizer to be worth growing. Which is getting to be very expensive. This year we have about 80 acres of grass hay and the fertilizer will cost $24,000 to get 3 cuttings. And due to this we are going to be cutting down on some grass hay next year and the year after.

Though I've been noticing a disturbing trend of over watering alfalfa with pivot systems. Farmers are starting to run the pivots over and over the fields at faster speeds. That means the water doesn't go down into the ground as far. Therefore the roots don't go down as far. Which means you need to irrigate more. I'm for stressing the plant a little bit to make the roots go down deeper and then running the pivot very slow.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Teslan said:


> Yes Alfalfa uses much less then grass hay here in Colorado. We have orchard and brome fields that we have to irrigate every 1.5-2 weeks in the summer. Alfalfa maybe once in every 3 weeks. Grass hay also requires much much more fertilizer to be worth growing. Which is getting to be very expensive. This year we have about 80 acres of grass hay and the fertilizer will cost $24,000 to get 3 cuttings. And due to this we are going to be cutting down on some grass hay next year and the year after.
> 
> Though I've been noticing a disturbing trend of over watering alfalfa with pivot systems. Farmers are starting to run the pivots over and over the fields at faster speeds. That means the water doesn't go down into the ground as far. Therefore the roots don't go down as far. Which means you need to irrigate more. I'm for stressing the plant a little bit to make the roots go down deeper and then running the pivot very slow.


WOW.$300 acre fert costs.So with irrigating does it take alot of N with grasses to grow a good crop?Leach out?

What kinda tonnage do you get?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Unless hay prices go up around here more hay will get taken out this spring. One guys claims he'll rip it all out if he can get close to $7 corn by planting time. I keep telling the buyers they need to be buying hay acres just like the exchange buys corn, beans, and wheat acres, in other words be willing to pay more now or expect to pay considerably more next winter.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I wouldn't say it fertilizer leaches out with irrigating. The grass just eats it up. We cut grass hay 3 times a year. Fertilizing before each cutting. Most grass hay farmers around do not fertilize, but end up getting only one cutting. Then water and water and water and barely get a 2nd cutting. We get about 6 tons an acre a year. Alfalfa is so more cost effective except we have to spray it for aphids and weevils every year.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

swmnhay said:


> WOW.$300 acre fert costs.So with irrigating does it take alot of N with grasses to grow a good crop?Leach out?
> 
> What kinda tonnage do you get?


Hay takes A LOT of fertilizer. Here's the charts I use for fertilizer vs tonnage:

Reference: Maintenance Lbs/Acre By Tons DM Removed 
Hay Yield In Tons/Acre-------Potash-------------DAP
-----2-------------------------------100-----------------24
-----3	-------------------------------150-----------------36
-----4	-------------------------------200-----------------48
-----5	-------------------------------250-----------------60
-----6	-------------------------------300-----------------72

This assumes that your soil is already built to about 300 K and 75 P

Here's the most recent prices I paid (per ton):

DAP--------$650.00
Potash-----$640.00
Urea--------$565.00
Sulfur-------$550.00

I plan on applying about 150 lbs of urea (split 100-50 lbs )for 3-4 tons yield of grass hay.

Hope this helps

Ralph


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

About the same here Ralph. Though we do a little different mixture per cutting. LIke I said the irrigating doesn't really leach it. The grass itself sucks it up. However if you irrigate to much particularly flood irrigate you can drive the fertilizer to far into the ground below the roots for the grass to really reach. Then that doesn't do much good there at all.


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