University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

June 30, 2006

Maximizing drought-impacted alfalfa yield

When you do not expect much regrowth after cutting alfalfa, when should you harvest?

To maximize alfalfa yield from any one harvest, cut when most plants are blooming and before too many leaves have fallen off.
Your ground is dry. No rain in the forecast. And alfalfa growth is really slow. Sound familiar? Under these conditions, it's unlikely that your alfalfa will regrow very much after harvest. You probably need to get as much good yield as possible from the current growth. So when should you cut?

First determine if your alfalfa is growing at all. If you think it has stopped, and there is enough to justify harvest, cut it right away because it's just going to go downhill if you wait.

If it is still growing, although slowly, then wait until you have as much yield accumulated as possible. This might occur sooner than you think. Research studies have shown that maximum yield from any single cutting occurs at or soon after full bloom. That's easy to say, but just what is meant by full “bloom?” You might think that full bloom means all flowers are blooming, with the field covered in purple. Unfortunately, that is way later than full bloom. Full bloom actually occurs when virtually every stem has one or more flowers open and blooming. Since most stems usually have several potential flowers per stem, full bloom as well as maximum yield occurs while many potential flowers have still not bloomed.

Maximum yield occurs while there still is potential growth on the plant because bottom leaves begin falling off faster after full bloom that new growth can accumulate at the top. So you actually lose yield by waiting too long.

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Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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