Welcome to the Spring 2000 Forager

elcome to the Spring 2001 Forager. We have had a good old-fashioned Wisconsin winter. Of concern every year is winter injury. While our temperatures have been cold, they have been consistently so. No mid-winter warm-ups to cause alfalfa to break dormancy. This is when we get our greatest damage. In addition, we have had good snow cover over much of the state for most of the winter. We are not out of the woods yet, as early spring freezing and thawing can cause damage if alfalfa breaks dormancy and then it gets very cold again. Keep your fingers crossed.

We had another successful Symposium in Eau Claire in January. While our attendance has not been what we would like to have in recent years, it was still a well-attended informative meeting. We are discussing alternatives and an article in this issue should help to clarify them. We also have articles on manure and alfalfa and the importance of seeding year alfalfa yields, and the real cost of buying cheap seed.

Board Considers Changes in Annual Meeting

You were most likely the recipient of a survey asking your opinion concerning options for future annual meetings. Based on that survey, the board voted to pursue a joint meeting with Grassworks, Inc., the organization that organizes the Wisconsin Grazing Conference each year. We felt that was the best fit with our organization for a joint meeting. This issue was discussed at the grazing conference in February, and it was the feeling of that group that they continue as a separate organization with a separate meeting. So, the WFC board will continue to explore options for our annual meeting. Some thoughts have been to hold a one-day rather than two-day meeting. This would save some cost. Another idea is to hold several regional one-day meetings with similar content. Let a Board Member know if you have some ideas or opinion about this. Current Board Members are listed on page 7.

In This Issue:

Introduction

When milk prices are low, dairy producers begin to look for ways to reduce the direct input expenses of growing alfalfa. One option that growers have is to purchase lower cost alfalfa seed. Alfalfa seed of modern varieties can cost over $4.00 per pound, while older varieties can be purchased for $2.00 per pound or less. Is this difference in seed cost justified? Short-term price savings can be realized by purchasing inexpensive seed, but long-term profitability may be compromised. This article will address the value of modern alfalfa varieties and compare the total cost of seed over the life of an alfalfa stand.

How does an older and cheaper variety like Vernal perform compared to modern varieties?

While Vernal has been used as the standard, check variety in University variety trials for many years, it has not performed as well as modern varieties. Vernal can perform nearly equal to modern varieties for a cutting or two when all other growing conditions are at an optimum. However, when stress occurs, Vernal does not hold up well and performance lags. Figure 1. shows the performance of Vernal in University trials around the country. In these studies, the forage yield of Vernal ranges from 76 to 80% of the top performing varieties in a trial. Vernal becomes less competitive with increasing stand age.

Figure 1. Yield of Vernal as a percentage of top-yielding varieties in U.S. trials during 1989-1999 by age of stand.

In low yield environments, Vernal drops to 73% of top yielding varieties (Figure 2). However, in medium or high yield environments, Vernal is slightly more competitive, yielding 78 to 80% of top varieties.

Figure 2. Yield of Vernal as a percentage of top yielding varieties in U.S. trials during 1989-1999 by yield environment.

Vernal is most competitive with modern varieties at first cutting, yielding 83% of top performers (Figure 3). By fourth cut, average forage yield of Vernal drops to just 74% of top varieties.

Figure 3. Yield of Vernal as a percentage of top yielding varieties in U.S. trials during 1989-1999 by cutting number.

This data shows a significant loss of yield potential when seeding Vernal alfalfa as compared to the top performing alfalfa varieties available today. Yield loses of 20 to 25% during an average cropping season (3 to 4 ton DM/ac) means that additional seed costs can be recuperated through extra forage production in less than one growing season. In addition, the risk of severe stand reduction due to disease is lower over the life of the stand.

Is all cheap seed the same?

While the data presented demonstrates the yield potential of Vernal alfalfa, it also represents the potential productivity of other old and/or cheap varieties available to growers today. There are really two sources of cheap seed sold in the alfalfa seed industry today.

The first kind of cheap seed is variety not stated (VNS) seed. This seed is produced from older varieties like Vernal or Ranger. The performance of VNS seed is most likely to be poor because of using unimproved genetics. In addition, you do not know what variety or genetics you have purchased.

A second type of inexpensive seed is variety blends. Often in years of surplus alfalfa seed production, several varieties are blended together and sold as an unnamed seed blend. The blended seed varies by dealer and company. However, there is potential for several modern varieties to be included in these blends, making their performance quite good. The problem is that you never know what genetics have been included and at what ratios. There is a chance of getting good quality alfalfa genetics in a blend. Likewise, there is a chance of having poor varieties in a blend.

Summary

Purchasing alfalfa seed for forage production is an important management decision. The true "cost" of seed is not reflected in the purchase price alone. Planting an inferior yielding variety means that long-term costs of production are higher per ton of forage produced. In addition, more risk is introduced into your operation by buying "cheap" seed.

Seed purchasing decisions should be based on variety yield performance, disease resistance, winter survival and stand persistence. Consult the Perennial Forage Variety Update for Wisconsin (Undersander et. al., 2000) for alfalfa variety descriptions and yield performance data.

Finally, there are other questions to ask when purchasing seed. Does the company provide agronomic support services to growers? What is the product warranty or germination guarantee? Will the product be delivered in a timely manner? Are there quantity discounts?

Alfalfa variety choices should be based on long-term variety performance information, not on the price of seed.

Spreading manure on alfalfa ground boils down to three options: apply manure on older alfalfa stands in the fall immediately before plowdown; topdress manure on viable alfalfa stands during the growing season; and/or apply manure before alfalfa establishment.

Applying manure on older alfalfa stands immediately before fall plowdown has a lot going for it. These are fields typically targeted for corn the following spring. Field “drive-ability” is usually pretty good in fall along with time and help to get the job done. Heads up though for the possibility of manure runoff. Plans for incorporation the day following spreading don’t mean much if an evening gully washer sends runoff into critical water sources. Think also about the nitrogen needs for that corn crop. When you factor in the nitrogen credits from manure along with those from the plowdown alfalfa crop, you may have more nitrogen than that corn crop needs. Nitrate leaching to groundwater isn’t much of a problem on eastern red clays, but on sands and loamy sands this may be something to check out with local soil and water professionals.

Topdressing manure on viable alfalfa stands during the growing season is an option, but it certainly wouldn’t be the best choice. No doubt that on fields testing low for phosphorous and potassium the fertility from the manure can add some yield potential. There are lots of drawbacks though. Among them: possible leaf burning from manure carried salts and ammonia, crown damage from wheel traffic and erosion susceptibility.

If this is the only option on the table, there are some criteria to keep in mind. Target older alfalfa vs. younger alfalfa stands. Damage to younger alfalfa stands is something you’ll have to live with for several years. Older stands may soon be scheduled for rotation. Grassier stands may benefit from manure nitrogen and would be better choices than pure legumes. Limit manure to 3,000 to 5,000 gallons/acre or 10 tons/acre in a single application. Leaf burn potential is less if manure is applied right after harvest before re-growth starts. Also, pay attention to soil conditions (i.e. avoiding soggy fields offers less compaction and crown damage). Finally, limit those large spreader chunks that can cause smothering.

The final option that works well for many is applying manure before alfalfa establishment. Around here these are typically fall applications after corn grain or silage harvest with alfalfa planned for the following spring. There are lots of advantages with this. Pre-plant manure applications can save commercial fertility dollars for phosphorous, potassium, boron and sulfur. Some interesting research from the University of Minnesota (Schmitt, 1992) found that pre-plant manure applications may enhance yield more than commercial fertility, possibly related to aeration and other organic matter benefits from the manure.

Several disadvantages, however, need to be managed. Mix manure well into the topsoil to minimize problems with poor seedbeds. Pay close attention to spring herbicide timing and on-time cutting schedules to minimize weed problems. Pay attention also to excessive nitrogen loading in the soil. Again, nitrogen leaching to groundwater isn’t a major concern on heavy clays, but it can be on sandier soils. Dr. John Peters, Marshfield ARS, recommends that we limit applications to 10,000 gallons of manure/acre on corn ground to be followed by alfalfa, and we try to follow suit. Farms on lighter ground might want to check these limits with local soil and water professionals.

For further detail, reference the following:

Kelling, K.A. and M.A. Schmitt, 1992. Manure applications to forages. Wisconsin Forage Council Symposium proceedings, pp. 50-57.

Schmitt, M.A., 1993. What’s changing with manure applications to forages? National Alfalfa Symposium proceedings, pp. 116-121.

Importance of First Year Alfalfa Yields

By Dan Undersander - University of Wisconsin

Some significant changes are occurring in the way Wisconsin farmers manage alfalfa. One is that less alfalfa is being grown with a cover crop than previous. In 1990 and previous, over 90% of the alfalfa was seeded with oats as a cover crop; this figure has declined to less than 50% alfalfa seeded with a cover crop. With direct seeded alfalfa, first year yields become economically important.

The oat acreage graph from Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics shows that over 700,000 acres of oats were grown in 1990, most of these oats had alfalfa underneath it. In 2000, less than 300,000 acres of oats were grown. Oat acreage has declined as the need for straw has decreased. Statistics also indicate that, in recent years, approximately 100,000 acres of oats are harvested for haylage when no significant alfalfa winterkill has occurred. Oatlage has never been popular due to its low palatability and difficulty to make with good quality.

When alfalfa is seeded without a cover crop (or with oats sprayed at 6 inches with Poast +), seeding year management becomes significant to get the most yield. First, it is important to select the right variety. Some alfalfa varieties establish significantly faster than others and yield more in the seeding year. We have begun publishing seeding year alfalfa yields in the UW Extension publication, Perennial Forage Variety Update. Our recommendation is to pick high yielding varieties over multiple sites and years (as in the past) and then to select those varieties that also yielded well in the seeding year, if the field is to be direct seeded. The data in the graph as left shows that the average range in yield (darkened area at the top of each column) from most studies over the past 5 years has been about half a ton. This means that by selecting high yielding seeding year varieties farmers could be getting an extra half a ton of forage compared to the low yielding varieties in the seeding year.

How long should alfalfa stands last? Some consider that alfalfa stands should last for many years. But, recently many farmers have begun to realize that it may be more profitable to use shorter lived stands of alfalfa and take greater advantage of rotation benefits. The situation has changed greatly because of the great increase in allocated overhead (fixed costs). As shown in Table 1 below, allocated overhead, is more than the cost of growing a crop. Our current budgets would indicate that the current costs of establishing a crop of alfalfa are $382 and $306 for the following production years. This compares with approximately $325 to grow a crop of corn using the same assumptions. These high fixed costs mean that it is necessary to stay in high yield ranges and to take advantage of other rotational benefits.

We did a whole farm budget for an average Wisconsin farm with 300 acres of cropland and the assumptions shown in tables 2 and 3. The only change in the comparison is for the length of alfalfa stand; therefore, the acreage of alfalfa seeded annually. Thus changes in corn and corn silage yields, while they would affect whole farm profitability, do not affect the comparison.

The gross income and expenses per acre for the farm described in tables 2 and 3 is shown in table 4. Figures are expressed on a per acre basis with all crops averaged together. The data shows that the two-year rotation returned about $20 less per acre than the four-year rotation due to higher establishment costs and lower alfalfa yields in the seeding year.

However, the analysis does not take into account the following benefits of short rotations:

a) legume credit to corn: (120 lbs * 35¢/lb = $42.00)

b) need for corn rootworm control on corn following corn but not alfalfa: ($15.00)

c) rotational benefit to corn following alfalfa (10% higher yield): (13 bu @ $2.50 = $32.50).

Two of short rotation benefits individually more than offset the cost of reseeding more frequently. Combinations of the benefits will make the short rotation more profitable. An additional consideration of shorter rotations are that all fields have younger stands which are more winterhardy and more likely to survive severe winters than older stands and tend to be higher yielding and more weed free. Also, by seeding more frequently the farmer is able to take advantage of improvements in alfalfa genetics faster.

Table 1. Cost of Establishing and Producing

Alfalfa

Establishment Production

Operating Input Expenses

Fertilizer/lime $18.00 $38.15

Lime $39.00 ----

Seed $55.00 ----

Herbicide/oats $13.00 ----

Overhead $12.19 $12.19

Pest Scouting $5.00 $5.00

Crop Insurance $7.00 $7.00

Part Time Labor ---- $4.23

Energy Expenses $10.91 $9.75

Repair and Maintenance $7.34 $6.60

Input Interest $9.77 $4.72

Subtotal $175.21 $87.64

Fixed Expenses

Land Charge $75.00 $75.00

Property Taxes $22.00 $22.00

Management $6.00 $ 6.00

Labor $30.63 $28.21

Interest and Insurance $46.93 $46.64

Depreciation $29.41 $28.34

Subtotal $209.97 $218.37

Total $382.18 $306.01

Table 2. Rotation Length Effect On Crop

Acreages

2-year 4-year

Seedling alfalfa 67 40

Established alfalfa 133 160

Corn Silage 40 40

Corn Grain 60 60

Table 3. Assumptions in Total Farm Budget

200 acres Alfalfa

2.5 t/a new seeding @ $80/t

4.5 t/a established @ $80/t

80 acres corn

135 bu/a @ $2.50/bu

40 acres corn silage

20 t/a @ $25/t

Table 4. Whole Farm Profitability

2 year 4 year

---Per Acre---

Gross Income $349.27 $363.37

Total Expenses $320.45 $314.38

Return $ 28.82 $ 49.28

Difference $20.46

2001 WFC Board of Directors

President ~

    Tom Braun 920-754-4076

Vice President ~

    Stuart Sorenson 1-888-758-2467

Executive Secretary/Treasurer ~

    Dan Undersander 608-263-5070

Board Members ~

Randy Brunn 715-443-3351

Jerry Clark 715-726-7950

Lyle Guralski 715-257-7976

Matt Hanson 920-674-7295

Jake Kaderly 608-938-4788

Bob Meyer 715-384-2191

Randy Nehls 920-925-3884

Joe Tiry 715-644-2538

Richard Vine 715-743-3956

Randy Welch 608-845-3948

Ron Wiederholt 715-743-5121

Ex-officio ~

Dennis Cosgrove 715-425-3345

Keith Kelling 608-263-2795

Volume 25, Number 1, April 2001

MANURE ON ALFALFA

The Merit of Short Rotations of Alfalfa