Wisconsin may be a top alfalfa producing state, but that doesn’t mean alfalfa is increasing in acreage. The number of acres used for alfalfa has been steadily declining over the past two decades. Because of it’s importance to the dairy industry, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW Madison is exploring ways to keep alfalfa in the crop rotation.
Mark Renz is a professor and extension specialist with UW-Madison, focusing research on the interseeding of alfalfa with corn. Renz believes that this practice can help stop the decline of alfalfa acreage.
“We get a lot of environmental benefit and economic benefit for our dairy production,” said Renz. “We wanted to find other ways to keep alfalfa in the rotation and in the soil. So we came up with this interseeded system where we plant them together so we get the benefit of the corn silage…but then that alfalfa will be on the land over time giving those environmental and dairy benefits.”
The corn is planted at normal corn silage planting time in late April or early May. The alfalfa is then planted in between the corn rows the same day or, at most, two weeks later. The corn is then harvested in the fall. After corn harvest, the alfalfa resprouts and is ready for cover crop benefits in the fall. It will then be ready for full production the next year.
This practice has proven productivity. The major benefit of this practice is seeing an increase in yield up to 6 tons per acre whereas it is typically 2 to 3 if seeded in the second year. Another benefit is increasing profitability 10-15%. Environmental benefits include less nitrogen runoff and soil erosion.
Currently there are only a few small farms that Renz knows of employing this practice. His hope is that this will take off over time. “It doesn’t fit everyone’s need, there are some obstacles, but I think the benefits way outweigh some of those potential risks,” said Renz.
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