Determining when to cut first-crop alfalfa is often difficult because alfalfa quality, relative to flowering stage, varies greatly. To help with this dilemma, agronomists at the University of Wisconsin – Madison developed the Predictive Equations for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) method which predicts alfalfa’s Relative Feed Value (RFV) at the time of cutting.
The Fond du Lac County Forage Council will be evaluating forage conditions by collecting biweekly PEAQ readings (days to be determined) starting Monday, May 14th. These PEAQ readings will be reported and available on the Fond du Lac County UW-Extension website.
The PEAQ Stick Method measures standing alfalfa’s forage quality before it is harvested by measuring alfalfa height using a wooden PEAQ measuring stick and an equation to determine alfalfa’s RFV. The RFV values are calculated based on the alfalfa plant’s maturity stage.
NOTE: This procedure estimates alfalfa RFV content of the standing crop. It does not account for changes in quality due to wilting, harvesting, and storage. These factors may further lower RFV content by 10 to 25 units, assuming good wilting and harvesting conditions. This procedure is most accurate for good stands of pure alfalfa with healthy growth.
PEAQ Stick Method
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Campbellsport |
Bud phase, 1 yr stand |
30 |
150 |
| Eden |
Bloom, 3 yr stand |
33 |
138 |
| Malone |
Bud phase, 1yr stand |
32 |
149 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in). |
RFV |
| Malone |
Bud phase, 1yr stand |
30 |
156 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Campbellsport |
Bud phase, 1 yr stand |
25 |
175 |
| Eden |
Bud phase, 3 yr stand |
22 |
190 |
| Malone |
Vegetative, 1 yr stand |
24 |
190 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Ripon |
Vegetative |
23 |
195 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Campbellsport |
Vegetative, 1 yr stand |
20.5 |
210 |
| Eden |
Vegetative, 3 yr stand |
18 |
235 |
| Malone |
Vegetative |
21 |
205 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Malone |
Vegetative |
16.5 |
235 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Malone |
Vegetative |
15 |
245 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Ripon1 |
Bud phase, 1 yr stand |
24 |
180 |
| Ripon 2 |
Bud phase, 1 yr stand |
22.3 |
193 |
| Campbellsport |
Bud phase |
23 |
185 |
| Mt. Calvary |
|
15.6 |
239 |
| Empire |
|
24.5 |
182 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Ripon 1 |
Vegetative – 1 yr stand |
22.8 |
196 |
| Ripon 2 |
Vegetative – 2 yr stand |
19.8 |
210 |
| Campbellsport |
Vegetative |
21 |
205 |
| Mt. Calvary |
Vegetative – 1 yr stand |
14.5 |
251 |
| Empire |
Vegetative |
22.5 |
199 |
| Location |
Stage |
Height (in.) |
RFV |
| Ripon 1 |
Vegetative – 1 yr stand |
19 |
217 |
| Ripon 2 |
Vegetative – 2 yr stand |
14.5 |
250 |
| Campbellsport |
Vegetative |
18 |
229 |
| Mt. Calvary |
Vegetative – 1 yr stand |
12 |
268 |
Scissor Cuts
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
| Rosendale |
19 |
33 |
39 |
149 |
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
| Malone |
21 |
26 |
37 |
163 |
| Rosendale |
22 |
37 |
42 |
133 |
| South of Ripon |
26 |
32 |
39 |
151 |
| Campbellsport |
20 |
42 |
49 |
105 |
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
| Campbellsport |
27 |
26 |
29 |
219 |
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
| Malone |
23 |
25 |
30 |
211 |
| Rosendale |
20 |
27 |
31 |
205 |
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
| Malone |
20.3 |
34.4 |
40.1 |
143 |
| Byron |
19.5 |
36.7 |
42.7 |
131 |
| Ripon |
18.4 |
37.8 |
44.3 |
124 |
| Campbellsport |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Brownsville |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
Field PEAQ Estimate |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
Maturity |
Height |
RFV |
| Malone |
21.1 |
31.9 |
37.5 |
158 |
Bud |
32″ |
149 |
| Byron |
21.5 |
31.3 |
36.3 |
164 |
Bud |
Lodge |
– |
| Ripon |
19.4 |
33.4 |
39.4 |
148 |
Bud |
Lodge |
– |
| Campbellsport |
21.9 |
32.3 |
38.3 |
155 |
Bud |
Lodge |
– |
| Brownsville |
18.6 |
33.4 |
39.1 |
149 |
Bud |
Lodge |
– |
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
Field PEAQ Estimate |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
Maturity |
Height |
RFV |
| Malone |
22.6 |
26.3 |
32.2 |
196 |
Pre-bud |
29″ |
167 |
| Byron |
21.3 |
29.7 |
34.0 |
179 |
Bud |
30″ |
156 |
| Ripon |
19.7 |
30.5 |
36.1 |
168 |
Pre-bud |
26″ |
180 |
| Campbellsport |
20.7 |
26.9 |
31.6 |
200 |
Pre-bud |
26″ |
180 |
| Brownsville |
20.1 |
28.9 |
33.9 |
183 |
Bud |
30″ |
156 |
Alfalfa scissor cut results will be available late afternoon Tuesday, May 24th.
The next alfalfa scissors cut and PEAQ estimates will be taken on Thursday, May 26, 2016 with results available late afternoon Friday, May 27th.
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
Field PEAQ Estimate |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
Maturity |
Height |
RFV |
| Malone |
24.7 |
23.4 |
28.3 |
232 |
Veg |
23-24″ |
190 |
| Byron |
23.4 |
25.4 |
30.6 |
210 |
Pre-bud |
24″ |
190 |
| Ripon |
24.9 |
26.5 |
30.9 |
212 |
Veg |
22″ |
200 |
| Campbellsport |
24.3 |
25.8 |
30.6 |
209 |
Veg |
23″ |
195 |
| Brownsville |
22.9 |
24.7 |
29.6 |
218 |
Pre-bud |
24″ |
190 |
| Dodge County |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hustisford |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Veg |
24″ |
190 |
| Rubicon |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Veg |
26″ |
180 |
| Rubicon |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
22″ |
200 |
The next alfalfa scissors cut and PEAQ estimates will be taken on Monday, May 23, 2016 with results available late afternoon Tuesday, May 24th.
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
Field PEAQ Estimate |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
Maturity |
Height |
RFV |
| Malone |
25.5 |
23.2 |
27.5 |
240 |
Veg |
21″ |
205 |
| Byron |
24.1 |
25.4 |
30.0 |
215 |
Veg |
22.5″ |
200 |
| Ripon |
27.6 |
24.3 |
28.0 |
232 |
Veg |
20″ |
211 |
| Campbellsport |
23.8 |
24.2 |
28.3 |
230 |
Veg |
19.5″ |
217 |
| Brownsville |
24.6 |
23.8 |
28.3 |
231 |
Veg |
23″ |
195 |
| Dodge County |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hustisford |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
23″ |
195 |
| Hustisford |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
25″ |
176 |
| Hustisford |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Early bud |
24″ |
178 |
| Mayville |
– |
– |
– |
– |
|
|
180 |
The next alfalfa scissors cut and PEAQ estimates will be taken on Thursday, May 19, 2016 with results available late afternoon Friday, May 20th.
| Location |
Scissors Cut Analysis |
Field PEAQ Estimate |
|
CP |
ADF |
NDF |
RFV |
Maturity |
Height |
RFV |
| Malone |
27.35 |
20.10 |
23.51 |
289 |
Veg |
19″ |
217 |
| Byron |
26.64 |
19.07 |
21.57 |
318 |
Veg |
21″ |
205 |
| Ripon |
27.18 |
23.44 |
25.29 |
242 |
Veg |
20″ |
211 |
| Campbellsport |
25.66 |
20.77 |
23.34 |
290 |
Veg |
18″ |
224 |
| Brownsville |
27.03 |
21.95 |
25.05 |
266 |
Veg |
20″ |
211 |
*Please note laboratory RFV appear unusually high based on height of plant and RFV of surrounding areas. Due to unusually high values, scissor cut samples will be conducted on Monday, May 16th, with results available Tuesday, May 17th.
| Location |
Field PEAQ Estimate |
| |
Maturity |
Height |
RFV |
| Malone |
Veg |
16” |
237 |
| Byron |
Veg |
18” |
224 |
| Ripon |
Veg |
15” |
|
| Campbellsport |
Veg |
15” |
|
| Brownsville |
Veg |
18” |
224 |
