Start Date
2-22-1990 2:30 PM
Description
We all recognize the value of alfalfa in horse, dairy and beef rations. That's why we harvest over 17 million acres of this crop in the United States every year. Hay is a good way to harvest alfalfa because it stores well, provides long fiber in rations and we can market the surplus as a cash crop. Higher yields and higher quality mean more profit so we push to be sure we use the best management practices. All too often though, we lose part of all of a crop to rain damage. Some yield and quality is lost due to leaf shatter and respiration no matter how ideal the conditions. The goal of our research program is to develop hay harvesting and storage systems that minimize these losses at the lowest possible cost.
Included in
Drying High Moisture Alfalfa Hay
We all recognize the value of alfalfa in horse, dairy and beef rations. That's why we harvest over 17 million acres of this crop in the United States every year. Hay is a good way to harvest alfalfa because it stores well, provides long fiber in rations and we can market the surplus as a cash crop. Higher yields and higher quality mean more profit so we push to be sure we use the best management practices. All too often though, we lose part of all of a crop to rain damage. Some yield and quality is lost due to leaf shatter and respiration no matter how ideal the conditions. The goal of our research program is to develop hay harvesting and storage systems that minimize these losses at the lowest possible cost.