Selecting Alfalfa Varieties and Snow Cover Impacts

January 14, 2025

Selecting Alfalfa Varieties and Snow Cover Impacts

Pasture and Forage Minute

By Jerry Volesky - Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Specialist, Samantha Daniel - Extension Educator

tractor preparing field for planting

Site selection, proper weed management, good fertilization and seedbed preparation are all crucial steps for success when establishing a new alfalfa stand. 

Selecting Alfalfa Varieties 

By Jerry Volesky

Are you considering establishing a new alfalfa stand this coming spring? Site selection, proper weed management, good fertilization and seedbed preparation are all crucial steps for a successful stand. Whether it’s Roundup Ready or conventional alfalfa, selecting the right variety will dictate yield, quality, potential, degree of insect and disease resistance, as well as longevity of the stand.

Remember several important factors when choosing an alfalfa variety for a specific site. These include winter survival, fall dormancy, disease resistance, persistence and yield potential.

Winter survival and fall dormancy ratings are typically based on a numerical scale. For Nebraska, a winter survival score of 3 or 4 is desired, but a score of 2 may be suited for the northern most areas of the state. For fall dormancy, a score of 3 or 4 is desired for Nebraska.

For disease and insect pest management, a good strategy is to select varieties resistant to the most recurring pests and diseases specific to your location, especially those that have been problematic the last several years. Resistant varieties will save money and time by eliminating or drastically reducing the need for chemical control.

An alfalfa variety that can keep consistent yields up to its fourth and fifth year is considered a persistent variety. Persistence is closely related to winter hardiness, specific weather conditions, past management as well disease and insect pressure. Similarly, yield potential of alfalfa varieties is dictated by its genetics, but actual forage yield that each variety can achieve is limited by field conditions and management practices.

Winter Forage Snow Cover 

By Samantha Daniel

So far this year, much of Nebraska has yet to receive measurable snowfall. Hopefully this pattern doesn’t last too long as the benefits of snow cover to winter forages, especially alfalfa, are significant.

The most significant roles snow cover has in protecting winter forages is to provide insulation and prevent evaporation from the soil. By trapping heat energy, snow cover limits the depth of the frost layer which protects forages from the damaging freeze-thaw cycle and mitigates winter kill. The effectiveness of this protection is dependent on how early in the season the snow cover is established. Late fall and early winter snowstorms collect and insulate the ground before too much heat is lost from the soil.

Having some stubble at the end of the growing season is a great way to catch this much-needed snow. If a late season harvest is unavoidable, cut high to ensure snow trapping stubble can still function. In an ideal situation, this snow insulation, winter hardy variety selection, and giving forages the chance to properly winterize in the fall will keep winter kill to a minimum.

Snow is a great insulator and can help forages survive the winter. While snow may not always be a welcome sight, it can help to ensure your winter forage crop survives and thrives next season.

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