Dry weather — to varying degrees — has beset a large swath of the U.S. during the beginning of the 2023 haymaking season. In the Midwest, I have never seen so much first-cutting hay get baled...

Source: U.S. Drought MonitorThe abundant rain and snowfall in the West put a temporary Band-Aid on many areas that were either devoid of moisture or had their irrigation spigots shut off...

It’s a guarantee that cool-season grass pastures will take a break this summer when hot, dry conditions set in...

The first “Alfalfa Conference,” which was later to become the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference, took place in Washington D.C. on January 13, 1930...

Every state has their recommended seeding date range for establishing cool-season forage species in the spring...

Alfalfa hay can be used in rations for pregnant and nonlactating dairy cows without necessarily causing metabolic diseases such as clinical hypocalcemia — also called milk fever. That’s the conclusion of recent research by Virginia Tech’s Gonzalo Ferreira...

Perhaps the weakest link in the entire alfalfa production cycle is getting a healthy, vigorous stand. Subsequent production, forage quality, and persistence hinge on it.During a “Field Crops Virtual...

Over the course of the next two months, a large number of hay implements will venture out into fields for their maiden voyage of 2023. Be it grass or alfalfa, first cutting separates itself as a time...

Forage nutrient digestion and energy yield is a function of the feed’s nutrient content and subsequent digestion by the animal. Fiber content and digestion has been a major focus in ruminant nutrition, laboratory measures, and forage quality for decades...

In a recent survey of horse owners, 48% said alfalfa hay was an excellent source of nutrition while 73% said it was too high in protein or overall nutrients. These results represent conflicting opinions...