OKLAHOMA ALFALFA

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NEWS

It is getting late for good control of cool-season weeds in fall-planted alfalfa (weeds are large and not actively growing because of cool weather). However, good control might be possible if we have another warm spell (shirt-sleeve weather for several days), especially on fields that were planted late and have small weeds.

If you want to sell dairy hay, then you better control weeds because top price is paid for weed-free hay.

If you plan to use it for beef cattle, then you don't need to control weeds with less than two weedy grasses or less than one broadleaf weed/sq. ft.

If broadleaf weeds are only henbit and chickweed, then don't spray because they are not highly competitive and are not easily controlled.

If weeds make up more than 50% of the fall growth, then you better spray if there is a warm spell, or you might consider flash-grazing.

If you planted early and alfalfa plants and weeds are 4 to 6 inches tall, the best option might be to flash-graze the weeds after a hard freeze in December (20⁰ F). This is especially true for fields where the weeds are big and thick enough to shade the alfalfa. Before grazing, make sure that the alfalfa is well rooted and the fields are dry so cattle will not rut up the area.

Remember, profitability of using herbicides on fall-planted alfalfa depends on the kinds and number of weeds, as well the probable use of the hay. When selling alfalfa hay to dairies or feeding it to high-producing dairy cows, it is usually profitable to produce weed-free alfalfa hay.

SHORT ANSWER: Flash-grazing alfalfa after the first killing freeze (20^o F) in November or December is likely to be the better option instead of trying to make hay.

EXPLANATION: Haying Option. Making hay in late October or early November is difficult because of poor drying conditions, i.e., low temperatures, high relative humidity, and reduced solar radiation. Another consideration is the value of the hay.

The value of hay would be about $40/A (gross), assuming ½ ton/A at $80/ton. When harvesting costs are about $21/A, only $19/A remains. This amount will hardly cover costs of hauling and storage. Remember, this optimistically assumes you can bale the hay before it is damaged by precipitation.

ECONOMICS: Grazing would cost much less than haying, assuming no stocker death loss occurs from bloat. Using a grazing value of $60/ton, the ½ ton/A yield would be valued at $30/A. From this value, you must subtract bloat prevention, fencing, getting water to the site, and labor.

Grazing after frost helps control insects. During grazing, habitat for alfalfa weevil egg laying is removed, reducing the number of eggs available for hatching the following spring.

Flash-grazing on dry fields after a good freeze will also result in some control of broadleaf weeds. The hoof-action of the livestock will cause uprooting of small weeds.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: It is unlikely that stand life or plant health would be drastically affected by cutting or grazing between October and January. This assumes proper fertilization, good drainage, adapted variety, etc.

SHORT ANSWER: If the forage is not critically needed, the best option would be to leave it until spring. If the forage is needed, flash-grazing in January after the alfalfa goes dormant would be all right.

EXPLANATION: Trying to cure alfalfa hay in late fall (November) is difficult. Although some plants are 1 ft tall, the amount of hay that can be harvested is usually be less than ½ ton/A.

When weeds are not a problem: Normally, grazing or cutting fall-sown alfalfa is not recommend that fall or winter. These seedling plants usually stay green throughout the fall and early winter, and considerable root growth occurs during this period. In addition, as indicated above, usually there is not enough alfalfa forage to justify harvesting.

When weeds are a problem: Alfalfa growth stops when shaded by weedy grasses, such as rescuegrass and volunteer wheat. Large grass plants are normally not effectively controlled with herbicides, so flash-grazing may be the only economical control option. We recommend flash-grazing as soon as the grasses out-grow the alfalfa and most of the alfalfa is being shaded, or as soon as there is a hard enough freeze to stop above-ground growth of the alfalfa (usually 15^o F or colder for seedling plants).

Forage production from these areas would vary from 1/4 ton/A to ½ ton/A. So the value of the forage available for grazing would vary form $15 to $30/A.

Grazing pressure should be sufficient to remove the forage in a couple of weeks. Also, livestock should not be permitted in fields that are wet. Tracking will damage the plants more than weeds.

These two questions and answers above are from "Alfalfa Harvest Management Discussion ..." OSU Circular E-943 OKLAHOMA ALFALFA EXPO '96 BROUGHT GIFTS TO THE ASSOCIATION

The Association raised more than $16,000 from the auction items listed below to support research. Be sure to let the donors to the auctions at the Alfalfa Expo know you appreciate their donations to the auctions.

LARGE EQUIPMENT AUCTION DONORS
Item(s)	Company	Representative	Phone
Hesston 4900 large square baler - 1,000 bales or 60 days	AGCO	Felix Patterson	405-751-0587
CASE IH 8575 medium size baler - 1,000 bales or 60 days	CASE IH	Burt Hazard	405-755-7892
New Holland Ford 8670-145 HP - 100 hours or 90 days;	New Holland	Jena Jeffcoat	405-228-3263
New Holland 664 Round Baler with net wrap - 300 bales or 90 days	New Holland	Jena Jeffcoat	405-228-3263
MACDON 16' Swather - 100 hours or 30 days	MACDON	Dean Wasser	316-722-8908
SILENT AUCTION DONORS
2 Bags ICI 630	ICI/Garst	Charlie Haas	316-324-5246
3 bags Good as Gold alfalfa	Johnston Seed Co.	Ed Schovanec	405-233-5800
Alfalfa Herbicide 5 lb bag Sinbar	DuPont Ag Products	Mike Johnson	405-348-7380
Alfalfa Herbicide 2.5 gals Velpar L	DuPont Ag Products	Mike Johnson	405-348-7380
15 Ton 50 % ECCE Lime Bulk Spread	Agriculture Lime & Gypsum Service	Don Graham	405-453-7503
5 bags Cimarron VR alfalfa	Great Plains Research	Ed Granstaff	405-743-0944
10 gal Gopher Bait	Wheeler Brothers	Mike Rosen	405-375-5545
25 lb Gopher Bait	Farmers Elevator Coop	Jimmy Patocka	405-853-4410
Hay Moisture Tester	P&K John Deere	Shane Clifton	405-375-3111
Forged Steel Bale Spear 4500 lb rating 32" spear	Stinger Ltd.	Larry Matlack	316-465-2683
Hydraulic Fluids	Implement & Repair Co.	Floyd Thomas	405-596-2324
2 Lawn Sprinklers & 60' Hoses	T-L Irrigation	Wayne Krehbiel	405-542-6983
Master Mechanic 3/8" Cordless Drill	Ross & Sons Seed	Steve Calhoun	405-224-2222
30 Wt. Motor Oil	Orienta Coop	Greg Hunt	405-227-3105
Tool Kit & Caps	Standridge Equipment	Jerry Standridge	405-224-2857
OK 49 Alfalfa Seed 5 bags	Cal/West	Paul Baumer	800-327-337
OK 49 Alfalfa Seed 5 bags	Ross Seed	Joe Ross	405-224-2222
2 Hay Moisture Tester	Southwest Distributing Co.	E. L. Sights	800-522-4056
1 ton Alfalfa Fertilizer	Poag Grain	Jimmy Groseclose	405-224-6350
1 gal Pounce	FMC Corp	Rodney Hammons	405-429-9913
Hydraulic Cylinder	Livingston Machinery	Earl Livingston	405-244-5056
Antifreeze 6 Gal	Orienta Coop	Greg Hunt	405-227-3105

SHORT ANSWER: The aphids are spotted alfalfa aphids and they probably should be controlled.

EXPLANATION: Careful identification and scouting should be conducted to determine the levels of infestation of the various aphids. Newly established stands are highly susceptible to even low numbers of spotted and blue alfalfa aphids (1 or 2 per seedling).

When present in alfalfa during fall and early winter, aphids are likely spotted alfalfa aphids, which are generally yellow in color with dark spots. When aphids are present in late winter or spring and are a green or blue-green color, they are probably pea aphids or blue alfalfa aphids.

The spotted alfalfa aphid is the most devastating aphid pest of seedling alfalfa. It causes a severe toxic reaction in susceptible varieties that often results in discoloration (yellowing) along veins of leaves near plant terminals. This characteristic symptom is called "veinbanding." Heavily infested plants turn yellow and often some leaves have reddish discoloration. Eventually, these plants may take on a bleached appearance and affected spots across a field may die. New stands of susceptible varieties are particularly vulnerable to stand loss because of the size of plants and lack of genetic resistance.

During winter and spring, following establishment of an alfalfa stand in fall, other alfalfa aphids may be present that can also account for thinning of stands or death of plants. The blue alfalfa aphid can be devastating because, like spotted alfalfa aphids, it causes a toxic reaction that can kill plants. Generally, blue alfalfa aphids do not cause yellowing. Plants remain green until just before death. High numbers of pea aphids cause wilting similar to drought. Spotted alfalfa aphids cause yellowing. Differences in reaction of alfalfa to feeding by aphids stresses the importance of identification and timely control applications.

SHORT ANSWER: In most cases waiting is all a producer can do, realistically. Alfalfa sometimes greens up as soils warm during the spring following fall planting.

EXPLANATION: The appropriate action depends on the cause of poor inoculation. If alfalfa was not inoculated prior to planting, there is at least one commercial bacterial preparation that can be mixed with water and sprayed on alfalfa to improve inoculation with rhizobia.

During dry or cold (below 50⁰ F) soil conditions, rhizobia may not grow and multiply normally. Slow growth of rhizobia is also caused by acid or infertile soil. If fertilizer and lime were not applied according to soil tests, the materials should be applied as soon as possible and may alleviate the problem with poor inoculation.

The cost and effectiveness of inoculation after planting is highly variable because of the array of conditions that can cause poor inoculation. Rhizobia must come in contact with root hairs before they dry out or they will not be effective; consequently, weather conditions are critical for this application.

There have been cases where seed was inoculated, but for some reason the Rhizobium was slow to spread and infest all the plants. A small amount of nitrogen fertilizer (20 to 25 lb/acre) should green-up the field. When soils warm next spring the Rhizobium will probably spread to all the plants.

These two questions and answers above are modified from "Alfalfa Stand Establishment Questions and Answers. 1996. OSU Circular E-943.

The Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Alfalfa Hay & Seed Association -- February 25, 1997.
This year the Board Of Directors chose Kingfisher as the host county. They have a new facility and everyone should be comfortable. The program will include a talk by Ken Root, Alfalfa Research Updates, Lunch, Election of New Board Members, and whatever the membership requests. If you have some good ideas, contact Jackson McLane, vice-president and program chairman. Details of the meeting times will be in future issues of the news.

The Forage Management College -- December 4, 1996
in Stillwater at the Holiday Inn. The program begins at 11 am for registration and lunch at noon.

Also the organizational meeting of the Oklahoma Forage & Grazing Council will be held during the Forage Management College --

The (OFGC) is an organization devoted to promoting and improving the production and nutritive value of forages in Oklahoma through education and research with the ultimate goal of improving the sustainability, and thus, the profitability of forage/livestock production systems in Oklahoma.

To promote and improve forage production and nutritive value, the OFGC would strive to:

Inform the membership of the latest developments in all segments of forage production and utilization via sponsored meetings, a quarterly newsletter, and/or special bulletins as required.

Provide a organization that represents the forage industry in Oklahoma and throughout the US.

Recognize producers, educators, and businesses for innovative contributions to the Oklahoma forage industry.

Anyone interested in increasing their net return by improving forage production and livestock performance.

Interacting with other forage and livestock producers with similar interests and concerns

By participating in regular regional pasture tours to examine new and innovative forage and livestock production practices

December 4 Oklahoma Forage & Grazing Council --
Holiday Inn Stillwater. Program begins at 11 am for registration and lunch at noon. Everyone welcome. More information on page 5.

February 25 Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Alfalfa Hay & Seed Association --
Kingfisher. Program will include Ken Root, Alfalfa Research Updates, Lunch, Election Board Members. Details of the meeting times will be in future issues of the news

OKLAHOMA ALFALFA

HAY & SEED ASSOCIATION

Volume 20 No. 10 November 1996

NEWS