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 MoreEnduro Elite Alfalfa Performing Well Against Aphanomyces Race 2
An area DSM was out scouting fields a few weeks back and found some significant problems with Aphanomyces Race 2. He was in the Dubuque, Iowa area, which is known to be a hot-bed for APH2. There were several areas in the field that were not as tall or vigorous. He realized right away that it was likely an issue with APH2, so he dug up plants to see what was going on beneath the plant (APH2 is a soilborne fungus).
Read MoreWL Roundup Ready® Alfalfa Looking Good in First Cutting
The benefits of the Roundup Ready® system have been highly touted in alfalfa production. This field proved out all of the benefits.
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.
Read More