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Cut this fall, or protect for winter?
By Drovers Marketing Services staff
(Thursday, June 28, 2007)
Depending on summer and early fall rainfall, you may be treated to fields of tall, lush, leafy alfalfa in September and October. Taking a fourth or fifth cutting may be tempting, particularly with high feed prices across the board this year.
But could a late-year windfall this year spell damaged stands come spring? Possibly, says Pennsylvania State University agronomy researcher Marvin Hall. He explains that winter survival of the alfalfa plant and spring regrowth are dependent on adequate carbohydrate storage in the roots before cold temperatures kill the herbage in the fall. “Cutting alfalfa in the fall may cause plants to regrow and expend some carbohydrates in the process,” says Hall. “Subsequent regrowth often is insufficient to restore root carbohydrate levels by the first killing frost, which increases the chance of alfalfa winterkill.”
However, Hall notes that today’s alfalfa genetics may negate the age-old recommendation to not harvest alfalfa four to six weeks before the first anticipated killing frost. He says the real question is, “Is the forage in the field worth the risk of reducing stand persistence?” If the answer is “yes,” he offers a list of fall-harvest guidelines on Page 4 of this document.
