Effect of Seedling Year Stress on Future Alfalfa Yields by Dan Undersander Stress in the seeding year reduces future yields of alfalfa. This occurs because the seeding year determines the stand plant density as well as individual plant size and vigor. The following paragraphs will show that autotoxicity, potato leaf hopper, cover crop, and, possibly, drought […]
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Forage Quality of First Cutting Due to Wet Spring by Dr. Dan Undersander University of Wisconsin – Extension Frequent and above average rainfalls can make haymaking nearly impossible. In addition, the rainy weather meant many cloudy days with little sunshine for photosynthesis to provide energy for growing forage and the cool weather also slowed growth. This combination […]
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Value of Standing Forage by Dan Undersander University of Wisconsin A frequent question is how much should a person charge or pay for standing hay. There is no simple answer but one can come to a fair price by considering the following factors: First, one should consider the price of hay. During spring 2001 the price […]
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Root Rot and Crown Rots and Virus Diseases of Alfalfa and Clover by Dean Malvick, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology Department of Crop Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign A goal for many forage producers is to plant alfalfa and clover, harvest high yields on an appropriate schedule, and retain stands for many years. Numerous obstacles, however, prevent […]
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Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer by Bryan Jensen, Integrated Pest Management Program University of Wisconsin – Madison Introduction The alfalfa blotch leafminer (Agromyza frontella (Rondani)) is a relatively new pest in Wisconsin alfalfa. It was first found in the state during the summer of 1996 with positive confirmations in five counties. A 1997 survey of the state showed that the […]
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New Disease-Causing Organisms in Alfalfa: Aphanomyces Euteiches Race 2 and Phytoplasma by R.D. Peters and C.R. Grau Department of Plant Pathology University of Wisconsin – Madison Introduction Alfalfa is the primary forage crop in Wisconsin and is a key element in the states dairy industry. The yield of new varieties is greater than that of Vernal and other older varieties due […]
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Aphanomyces Race 2 in Alfalfa by Dan Undersander, Forage Agronomist About 20 years ago we identified Aphanomyces root rot as one of the major limiting diseases of alfalfa across much of the U.S on poorly drained soils. This fungal disease causes death in seedlings and poor seedling growth of alfalfa in slowly drained fields. Seedlings infected with Aphanomyces […]
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Potato Leafhopper Damage to Alfalfa by D.B. Hogg1, J.L. Wedbery1, D.J. Undersander2, and K.G. Silveira2 The potato leafhopper (PLH) is perhaps the most serious insect pest of alfalfa in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. This leafhopper is a native species but is not able to survive northern winters, and adults migrate into the Midwest each spring. Leafhopper populations […]
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An Update on Potato Leafhopper Resistance in Alfalfa by Mark McCaslin and Dave Whalen Forage Genetics Commercial alfalfa breeders have been very successful incorporating multiple pest resistance into high yielding cultivars. Recently released alfalfa varieties often express high levels of resistance to many diseases, insects and nematodes. However, until recently breeders were unsuccessful in incorporating resistance to […]
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Cutting Alfalfa Very Frequently by Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist There has been some interest in cutting alfalfa frequently to get very low fiber for dairy rations. We had a study in 2000 and 2001 where we compared 20 alfalfa varieties with and without wheel traffic. We cut at 21-day and at 35-day intervals. The yield data […]
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