Alfalfa

Alfalfa field
Early spring is a good time to evaluate alfalfa stands to assess reseeding needs, and begin control measures on winter annual weeds like pennycress, downy brome and cheatgrass to get the best quality out of your first cutting of alfalfa.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Alfalfa Weed and Stand Management, Grazing Winter Annuals

April 10, 2023
This week — Tips on controlling winter annual weeds for optimum first cutting hay quality, evaluating alfalfa stands with a hay square, and grazing rye, winter wheat and triticale during a cool start to spring.

Read more

Grasshopper
Though central and western Nebraska a have a higher risk for grasshopper outbreaks this season, a cool, wet spring would mitigate population growth not only for this growing season, but also the following year.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Alfalfa Seed Selection, Grasshoppers After Drought

April 5, 2023
This week — Reviewing seed selection to avoid anthracnose and Phytophthora root rot, assessing alfalfa stands and predictions on grasshopper populations following the 2022 drought.

Read more

Triticale
For successful double cropping, small grains like triticale should be planted now through early April, grazed from the third week of May to early June, and then followed by a summer annual grass.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Double Cropping Forages, Alfalfa Dormancy

March 21, 2023
In this installment: Strategies and tips for successfully double cropping annual forages this year, and a breakdown on what fall dormancy means for alfalfa growth during the next growing season.

Read more

Alfalfa and corn fields
As it aggressively scavenges nitrogen in the soil, alfalfa can greatly reduce nitrate contamination of groundwater with no negative implications for future crops if planted in rotations.

Alfalfa in Rotation with Annual Crops Reduces Nitrate Leaching Potential and Increases Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration

March 30, 2023
This UNL research study provides insights on the rotation of annual crops with alfalfa as a highly effective means of reducing nitrate-nitrogen contamination in groundwater.

Read more

Pasture landscape
Fertilization of smooth bromegrass pastures should begin soon, by late March through April

Pasture and Forage Minute: Winter Survival in Alfalfa, Fertilizing Cool-Season Grass

March 16, 2023
Tips on choosing winter survival traits in alfalfa without compromising yield, and timing and application rates for fertilizing cool-season grass pastures.

Read more

Alfalfa field
Spring is a critical time to control weeds in alfalfa, as weeds grow faster than stressed alfalfa, leading to thin stands, weakened plants and lower yields.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Increasing Alfalfa Productivity with Grass Mixtures, Spring Weed Control

March 9, 2023
Interseeding cool-season perennial grasses into alfalfa and applying herbicides in early spring are reliable methods of improving alfalfa production and health this growing season.

Read more

Calf in clover
Clover is one of several legumes that can fix atmospheric nitrogen and provide high quality forage in pastures if interseeded into fields with adequate phosphorus levels and good seed placement.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Legume Frost Seeding, Spring Planting Alfalfa

March 2, 2023
Extension educators share techniques for finding success while frost seeding legumes in pastures and establishing new alfalfa stands this growing season.

Read more

Corn field

Nebraska 2022 Crop Values Down 10%

February 28, 2023
The value of Nebraska's crop production is down for all major crops, with deficits ranging from 9% deficit in corn to 22% in winter wheat.

Read more