Ag Matters: Alfalfa Stands Worth Saving

Did dry weather leave your alfalfa yields running on empty this season? Before you hook up the disk to tear up those acres, take a beat.

CROPLAN agronomist Randy Welch says drought stress alone isn’t an automatic death sentence for your stand. Check root health and crown condition before rotating those fields out. That stand might have plenty of life left for next year’s rotation.

Welch says appearances can be deceiving. While drought can reduce production, that doesn’t mean the stand has been permanently damaged.

So how can growers tell whether poor yields were caused by drought or simply an aging stand? Welch says the answer starts with evaluating stem counts and crown health.

For producers planning to establish alfalfa after corn or soybeans next year, Welch says this year’s conditions could create another challenge that deserves careful attention.

Randy Welch encourages producers planning new seeding next year to review herbicide histories and consult seed suppliers about disease-resistant varieties that’ll establish well.