Alfalfa

Mature soybean field
While soybean residue can be grazed to move animals off overused pasture, it has low feed value and should always be accompanied by supplemental feed.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Fall Alfalfa and Soybean Residue Grazing

October 23, 2024
Extension insights on lower bloat risk for animals grazing fall alfalfa, and the pros and cons of grazing soybean residue.

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Cheatgrass
Rejuvra™ is a new rangeland herbicide product from Bayer that controls cheatgrass seedlings. It should be applied in early fall before seeds germinate and can provide control up to two years post-application.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Tips on Lease Agreements, Controlling Cheatgrass and Interseeding Legumes

October 2, 2024
Extension insights on terminating lease agreements, the best herbicides for controlling cheatgrass, and overgrazing pastures in preparation for interseeding legumes to improve nutrition.

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Hay in stacks
In Nebraska, hay prices fluctuate throughout the year due to several factors, including weather, supply and demand, and quality. For easy access to current hay prices, bookmark the link to CropWatch's hay markets page below.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Fall Thistle Control, Hay Prices and Drought Concerns

September 26, 2024
Herbicide options for pasture thistles during fall, insights on hay price fluctuations due to factors like drought and market conditions, and addressing the impact of dry weather on pasture health and alfalfa harvest timing. 

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Alfalfa exiting machinery during harvest
Properly timing the final alfalfa harvest using growing degree days (GDD) helps ensure winterization and prevent winterkill, allowing stands to thrive in the next growing season.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Timing Last Alfalfa Harvest with GDD, Sampling Hay

September 17, 2024
Insights on using growing degree days for alfalfa harvest to ensure winterization before dormancy, managing nitrate levels in annuals for foraging livestock, and sampling hay for a comprehensive quality test.

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Grasshopper on plant leaf
Monitoring grasshopper populations using the square-foot method can help prevent damage to late summer alfalfa and forage crops, with insecticide treatments considered if thresholds are exceeded.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Alfalfa Irrigation and Last Cutting, Grasshopper Management

September 12, 2024
Extension insights on fall alfalfa irrigation for improving yields, strategies for timing the last cutting to ensure winter survival, and grasshopper management to protect late summer forage from pest damage.

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Alfalfa field during summer
Fall-planted alfalfa needs at least four to six weeks of growth before the first frost to establish a strong root system, with proper seeding depth and weed control being key to its success.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Fall Planting Alfalfa and Winter Annual Forages

September 3, 2024
Tips for selecting suitable alfalfa varieties for successful establishment before winter, and deciding between rye, triticale and wheat for fall seeding.

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Fall armyworm on damaged leaf
Early detection of fall armyworm caterpillars is crucial, as they can cause significant crop damage once they reach ¾-inch in size. (CropWatch file photo)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Tips for Fall Armyworm Scouting and Corn Silage Harvest

August 20, 2024
Recommendations on scouting and treatment thresholds for fall armyworm, control of late summer pasture weeds, and best practices for corn silage harvest and storage.

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Corn field at sunset
Historical crop production reports for Nebraska are available at USDA.

Nebraska Crop Production Report for August 2024

August 14, 2024
Nebraska's 2024 corn production, currently estimated at 1.88 billion bushels, is on track to set a new record high for the state.

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