Start Date
2-22-2001 9:45 AM
Description
Over the past twenty years of this Conference we have spent considerable time discussing "Alfalfa Harvest Management." We have discussed the importance of stage of maturity and its impact on quality on many occasions. We have presented research on many aspects of hay and haylage management. An overall theme for all the discussions has been "harvest for quality," with emphasis on saving the leaves during the entire harvesting process. Our recommendations have, are, and will continue to be centered around those management practices that will result in the greatest opportunity for preserving alfalfa quality from standing crop to feeding. This requires harvesting at the right stage of maturity, optimize drying rate to reduce moisture rapidly, overall harvest management to "save leaves", storage at a low enough moisture to prevent microbiological degradation and minimum losses during storage and feeding.
Included in
AM-PM Cutting of Alfalfa
Over the past twenty years of this Conference we have spent considerable time discussing "Alfalfa Harvest Management." We have discussed the importance of stage of maturity and its impact on quality on many occasions. We have presented research on many aspects of hay and haylage management. An overall theme for all the discussions has been "harvest for quality," with emphasis on saving the leaves during the entire harvesting process. Our recommendations have, are, and will continue to be centered around those management practices that will result in the greatest opportunity for preserving alfalfa quality from standing crop to feeding. This requires harvesting at the right stage of maturity, optimize drying rate to reduce moisture rapidly, overall harvest management to "save leaves", storage at a low enough moisture to prevent microbiological degradation and minimum losses during storage and feeding.