Managing for Profit

Alfalfa on prevent plant acres

Unrelenting rains have resulted in millions of corn and soybean acres going unplanted.  For farmers making prevented planting claims, decisions like cover crop mixes and how to control weeds have to be made.

One option is alfalfa.  There’s a shortage of forage this year and USDA moved up the harvest date for prevent plant covers to September first. 

National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance president Beth Nelson says alfalfa offers growers flexibility, but there are some requirements to keep in mind.