Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
January 2, 2012

Source: University of Nebraska CropWatch

Are you considering planting a new field to a Roundup Ready® alfalfa variety this spring? If so, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

These varieties make it easy to control most weeds; however, easy weed control shouldn’t be the only reason you plant them. Here are a few factors to consider.

•For cow-calf producers planting grass-alfalfa mixtures in hay fields, Roundup® would kill the grass as well as the weeds. In these situations, conventional varieties would be more appropriate.

•If you are planting oats with the alfalfa and planning to harvest the oats for either hay or as grain and straw, Roundup shouldn’t be used until after oat harvest. If a good stand of alfalfa is present after harvest, further weed control with Roundup or any other herbicide may not be needed.

•Also remember that keeping an alfalfa field weed-free may not always increase hay tonnage. For some feed uses, having some weeds in the hay may be acceptable. This often is true if alfalfa fields are rotated to a different crop after three or four years of production. If a good stand can be established using other weed control options, weeds often don’t become a big problem until stands get older and start to thin out.
When planning your next alfalfa planting, consider how you’ll be using the harvest and whether the added $2.50 per pound of seed for this new trait makes sense for your operation.

Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist

Website: http://www.unl.edu

Published: January 5, 2013