Table
1. Calculating
Your Risk of Alfalfa Winter Injury
|
|
|
|
|
Points
|
Score
|
|
1. What is your stand age?
|
|
|
|
|
>3 years
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
2-3 years
|
|
2
|
|
|
< or = 1 year
|
|
1
|
|
2. Describe your alfalfa
variety:
|
|
|
|
|
a.
What is the
winterhardiness (fall growth score)?
|
|
|
|
|
|
-Moderately winterhardy
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
-Winterhardy
|
2
|
|
|
|
-Very winterhardy
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
a.
total
|
|
|
|
|
b.
What is the disease resistance?
|
|
|
|
|
|
-Moderate resistance to only
bacterial wilt
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
-Moderate resistance to
bacterial wilt plus either anthracnose, Fusarium wilt, -Phytophthora
root rot, or Verticillium
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
-Moderate resistance to all
mentioned diseases
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
b.
total
|
|
|
|
|
Alfalfa
variety total score (multiply a x b)
|
|
|
3.
|
What is your soil pH?
|
|
|
|
|
< or = 6.0
|
4
|
|
|
|
6.1 – 6.5
|
2
|
|
|
> or = 6.6
|
0
|
|
4.
|
What is your soil
exchangeable K level?
|
|
|
|
|
Low (< or = 80 ppm)
|
4
|
|
|
|
Medium (80 – 120 ppm)
|
3
|
|
|
Optimum (120 – 160 ppm)
|
1
|
|
|
High (> or = 160 ppm)
|
0
|
|
5.
|
What is your soil drainage?
|
|
|
|
|
Poor (somewhat poorly drained)
|
3
|
|
|
|
Medium (well to moderately
drained)
|
2
|
|
|
Excellent (sandy soils)
|
1
|
|
6.
|
What is your soil moisture
during fall/winter?
|
|
|
|
|
Wet
|
5
|
|
|
|
Medium to dry
|
0
|
|
7.
|
Describe your harvest
frequency:
|
|
|
|
|
Cut interval
|
Last cutting
|
|
|
|
|
<30 days
|
Sept.1-Oct. 15
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
After Oct. 15
|
4
|
|
|
|
Before Sept. 1
|
3
|
|
or
|
30-35 days
|
Sept. 1-Oct. 15
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
After Oct. 15
|
2
|
|
|
|
Before Sept. 1
|
0
|
|
or
|
>35 days
|
Sept. 1-Oct. 15
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
After Oct. 15
|
0
|
|
|
|
Before Sept. 1
|
0
|
|
8.
|
For
a October cut, 6 inches of stubble left?
|
|
|
|
|
No
|
1
|
|
|
|
Yes
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DETERMINE YOUR TOTAL SCORE
(sum of points from questions 1-8)
|
|
|
Adapted
from C.S. Schaeffer, University of Minnesota, 1990
|
|
