Seed treatments are not the same as seed coatings; understanding the distinction is important. An alfalfa seed treatment generally consists of an inoculant with a specific strain of rhizobium bacteria for alfalfa, along with a base fungicide to manage early-season soil diseases.
Read MoreAphanomyces Root Rot: The Race is on to Defend Alfalfa
Once thought of as a wet-soil disease, aphanomyces root rot is more widespread than many realize. It’s also one of the few alfalfa diseases to develop races — genetic variations of the pathogens that challenge established resistant varieties— making it doubly threatening to long-term alfalfa productivity.
Read More8 Factors That Can Determine Alfalfa Success
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing alfalfa seed and fashioning your overall forage management plan, including yield potential, stand persistence/winterhardiness, disease resistance and forage quality. Following are tips for making sure you’re selecting the best seed for your specific fields and covering what is necessary from a systems management perspective to help maximize yield potential.
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