Start Date
2-27-1992 1:45 PM
Description
I have had two failures seeding alfalfa in the past few years. Once I seeded into land that had been in no-till com only one year. I found that fescue came back into that stand of alfalfa and took it in several years. Another time I seeded alfalfa into land that had been in com for a few years but had not been seeded down properly. I thought I could no-till alfalfa in that piece of ground and there would not be too much competition. But I was wrong again. I realize that both times I could have come back with a Paraquat treatment of some sort and probably made those stands viable. But I didn't do that. The reason I'm telling you about these two failures is because I've been seeding alfalfa using a John Deere Power-Till Seeder. Seeding only in land that has been in tobacco the previous year or two; or in land that has been in corn for at least two years. I plant corn no-till, using Paraquat, Atrazine, and/or Princep. It seems that having com in for only one year allows too much competition in alfalfa the following year. Two years of com seems to take care of that. When seeding in com, seed right in the stalks. I mow the stalks the previous fall, come back that spring, and no-till at the rate of 12-15 pounds of seed per acre. Sometimes it's a little aggravating when you're seeding. You've got to get off and clean the seeder out a little bit, but that's the only trip over the field I use. I haven't had a problem seeding alfalfa behind Atrazine or Princep regardless of what their labels warn of.
Included in
Alfalfa in My Beef Operation
I have had two failures seeding alfalfa in the past few years. Once I seeded into land that had been in no-till com only one year. I found that fescue came back into that stand of alfalfa and took it in several years. Another time I seeded alfalfa into land that had been in com for a few years but had not been seeded down properly. I thought I could no-till alfalfa in that piece of ground and there would not be too much competition. But I was wrong again. I realize that both times I could have come back with a Paraquat treatment of some sort and probably made those stands viable. But I didn't do that. The reason I'm telling you about these two failures is because I've been seeding alfalfa using a John Deere Power-Till Seeder. Seeding only in land that has been in tobacco the previous year or two; or in land that has been in corn for at least two years. I plant corn no-till, using Paraquat, Atrazine, and/or Princep. It seems that having com in for only one year allows too much competition in alfalfa the following year. Two years of com seems to take care of that. When seeding in com, seed right in the stalks. I mow the stalks the previous fall, come back that spring, and no-till at the rate of 12-15 pounds of seed per acre. Sometimes it's a little aggravating when you're seeding. You've got to get off and clean the seeder out a little bit, but that's the only trip over the field I use. I haven't had a problem seeding alfalfa behind Atrazine or Princep regardless of what their labels warn of.