Leprechauns and pots of gold aside, four-leaf clovers aren’t the only lucky legume. Many members of the Trifolium genus, such as red and white clover, have powerful properties that make them a
Cool-season grasses are the star of the show during the spring and fall, but these forages tend to get stage fright during the hot, dry summer months. Planting summer annuals can mitigate the effects
Moisture is often used to combat fire, not ignite it. The latter is true for hay and straw, though, in barns housing bales with high moisture levels.When hay is baled at more than 20% moisture
Amber FriedrichsenAmber Friedrichsen is serving as the 2021 Hay & Forage Grower editorial intern. She currently attends Iowa State University where she is majoring in agriculture and lif
Spring is a time for new life, including a new growing season for warm-season perennials such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass. To effectively transition cattle to grazing these grasses, consider practi
Soil pH is often the first metric to be considered when assessing a soil’s ability to support economic crop production. The acidity of a soil impacts both nutrient sufficiency and potential toxicity
There’s never been a haymaker who couldn’t improve on their craft. The opportunities to enhance forage yield, quality, and persistence are nearly endless
The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) reminds alfalfa growers that USDA reopened the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) as a component of the administration’s Pandemic Assistance
The positive benefits that legumes provide to pastures and animals are well known. Still, some graziers cite reasons for not maintaining a significant legume presence in their pastures
Although spring brings with it many welcomed signs, one that is not included in that group is alfalfa weevil activity. Already, several states are reporting weevil adult and/or larval activity
Photo: New Holland AgricultureBack in my county extension agent years, I began carrying around aluminum foil and scotch tape behind the seat of my pickup
There are many decisions to be made over the course of an alfalfa stand’s life, including what variety to plant, when to cut each year, how many times to cut, and decisions centered on fertility
The fields are already dry, and the mountain snowpack is far below normal. It’s not a scenario that bodes well for alfalfa fields in California where water is divvied up between millions of people