Week of May 1, 2017
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County is monitoring alfalfa heights this spring to help predict quality and %NDF for first cutting hay crop. Alfalfa height has been proven to be a reliable indicator of NDF values in the field for alfalfa, alfalfa/grass mixed and all grass stands. Results will be compiled and emailed on a weekly basis – feel free to forward on. Contact Sarah Ficken (sjs299@cornell.edu) with any questions or feedback.
UPDATES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 1ST, 2017:
Alfalfa heights in the county are in the 11″ to 17″ range, with most sites measuring at 13″ or 14″. Now is the time to be harvesting pure grass stands for maximum quality if you are able to get in them. The rain and cooler temperatures have caused a pause in many operations, as people wait for better conditions to get out onto the field. It is looking like mixed grass stands should be ready to harvest for peak quality sometime next week, although cooler weather may push back the harvest a little bit and allow time for the fields to dry up. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Ficken at (315)684-3001 ext 108 or by e-mail at sjs299@cornell.edu.
Results were collected throughout Madison County
If you live in a Town that does not currently have a measurement site and have an alfalfa field that you would like measured, e-mail Sarah at sjs299@cornell.edu.
The numbers that are indicators for using alfalfa heights for NDF content are as follows:
- 100% grass stands should be cut when nearby alfalfa is 14 inches tall, to achieve 50% NDF
- 50/50 mixed alfalfa/grass stands should be cut when nearby alfalfa is 22 inches tall, to achieve 44% NDF
- 100% alfalfa stands should be cut when alfalfa is 28 inches tall, to achieve 40% NDF
Predicted days to cut are based on daily NDF increases for grasses of 1.0% point, 50/50 mixed alfalfa/grass stands of 0.8% points, and alfalfa of 0.5% points and are adjusted for the coming week’s weather. Typically NDF increases about 0.8 to 1.2 per day for grasses, with cooler weather being the lower end of the range and warmer weather being the higher end. For alfalfa, NDF increases about 0.4 to 0.7 per day, also dependent upon warm/cool weather.
The weekly email for the month of May will have a table of the locations around the county where we have measured the alfalfa height, as well as the elevation. Even if your fields aren’t measured, you can use the location and elevation as a guide to conditions that may be similar to your own. If you are located in a Town that does not have a test site and would be interested in having your alfalfa field measured, please let me know (sjs299@cornell.edu).