Does alfalfa require annual planting?
Summer weed competition can be alleviated by planting with an annual companion crop such as oats. Alfalfa, during growth, is not tolerant of a high water table that could drown it out. Equally as important is that the site receive enough water for successful growth. Sandy to clay loamy soils are best.
How much does it cost to plant alfalfa per acre?
The total cost of planting an acre of alfalfa is around $2430. First, prepping an acre of land will cost $242. Fertilization and planting cost around $900 and $225 respectively. You also have to pay for irrigation which will cost $73.50 and $59. Sampling alfalfa is necessary and costs around $647.50.
How many pounds of alfalfa do you plant per acre?
Seeding rate. For pure alfalfa stands, 18 to 20 pounds per acre should be planted. For mixed stands with grass, 15 to 16 pounds per acre is recommended. For broadcast seeding, seeding rates need to be increased by 10 to 20 percent. Weed control.
How much alfalfa seed do I plant per acre?
You may be interested in knowing how many alfalfa seeds you will be planting. For every pound of alfalfa seed you plant per acre, you will be planting about five seeds per square foot. Seeding at the rate of 20 pounds per acre will result in 100 seeds per square foot.
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How many pounds are in alfalfa seed bag?
Northern Brand Alfalfa Seed 50 lb Bag | Theisen's Home & Auto.
How many alfalfa seeds are in an ounce?
Alfalfa Heirloom Garden Seeds - B157 (12,500 Seeds, or 1 oz)
How many pounds of alfalfa seed do I need per acre?
Seeding rates should be between 12 and 15 pounds per acre. Prescribed seeding rates are designed to provide several times the seed needed to achieve optimal yield under ideal growing conditions. Seeding rates above 15 pounds per acre have no positive impact on yield (Table 3).
How many pounds of oats does it take to seed alfalfa?
As a companion crop to alfalfa, an oat seeding rate of around 10 to 15 pounds per acre is recommended. The standard seeding rate of alfalfa should be used when planting with a companion.
How do you calculate seeds per pound?
If the scale weighs in ounces, the formula would be 16 divide by the weight in ounces times the number of seeds weighed. For example, if same 100 pea seeds weighs 0.73 ounces, we would have a seed count of 2192 seeds per pound (16 divide 0.73 ounces times 100 seeds).
How much does a 50 lb bag of alfalfa seed cost?
Compare with similar itemsThis item NATURE'S SEED Alfalfa Seed (50 LBS)X-Seed 440FS0010UCT185 Dry-Land Mixture Pasture Forage Seed, 25-PoundCustomer Rating4.3 out of 5 stars (93)4.0 out of 5 stars (39)Price$22000$91.73$91.73Sold ByNature's SeedAmazon.comBrand NameNature's SeedX-Seed2 more rows
How much money can you make per acre of alfalfa?
Over a three-year average, alfalfa returns a profit of $98.82/acre compared to a $44.77/acre return for corn and $39.68/acre for soybeans, Miller estimated using information from Midwestern farms compiled through the FINBIN database.
How late can you plant alfalfa?
Planting too late may not allow enough moisture on the top layer of soil, making it more difficult for alfalfa seedings to emerge. If you have land available for alfalfa in late summer, optimal seeding dates are July 15 through August in the Upper Midwest and closer to July 15 for northernmost regions.
How many years does alfalfa last?
Under optimum growing and soil conditions, and with proper management, yields can exceed 7 to 8 tons of hay equivalent per acre. In addition, disease-resistant varieties of alfalfa can be maintained four to five years, sometimes longer depending on cutting management.
Can you plant alfalfa and oats together?
If you want alfalfa, plant only alfalfa. If erosion is a problem, include about half a bushel of oats with your alfalfa. Then kill oats early using Poast Plus or Select herbicide, or Roundup if your alfalfa is Roundup Ready. The next best option is to hay the oats early rather than taking grain.
What's a good cover crop for alfalfa?
Many other cover crops have been used to seed with alfalfa; the most common are barley and triticale. Barley is perhaps a better cover crop if letting the small grain grow for grain since it matures a week or more earlier than oats.
Does alfalfa reseed itself?
Alfalfa is a crop that naturally tends to lessen its density over time because alfalfa doesn't reseed itself. Planting more alfalfa into current alfalfa fields is not recommended since alfalfa has autotoxicity characteristics. A good population/density is about 35 well-growing stems per square foot.
How many alfalfa seeds are in a gram?
330Herb, Flower and Vegetable SeedsBotanic NameSeeds Per Gram (g)AlfalfaMedicago sativa330Amaranth - GrainAmaranthus hypochondriacus900Amaranth - LeafAmaranthus tricolor900AngelicaAngelica archangelica180115 more rows
How do you calculate quantity of seed?
To find the kilograms of seed needed per hectare, simply divide the number of seeds needed by the number of seeds/kg. Multiplying this times the size of the field in hectares will give the total amount of seed required.
How much do seeds weigh?
Seeds per GramGourd85030Kale7100-8500250-300Kohlrabi7100250Leek9500-11,200340-400Lettuce17,000-34,000600-120026 more rows
How many bean seeds are in a pound?
Green bean seeds are sold in pounds. There are approximately 2,000 seeds per pound, depending on seed size.
What is the best time to plant alfalfa?
The best time to plant spring alfalfa is early April to early May. April is the best month to plant spring alfalfa. It is possible to plant the crop in May. It does not increase the yield of the crop if you plant alfalfa in the fall. Harvesting of spring wheat is the most important time of year for harvesting.
What is the average yield of alfalfa per acre?
The top yields can be as high as 40 tons perhectare or 16 tons peracre per year. Leave a comment or photo of your harvest and enrich this article.
How much is a bag of alfalfa seed?
Older varieties can be purchased for as little as $1.50 per pound, while modern varieties can cost over $4.00 per pound. In addition to the cost of the seed, there are other costs associated with the production of alfalfas.
Can you broadcast alfalfa seed?
Instead of planting with a drill seeder, algae seed can be broadcast on a clean, tilled seedbed. Before seeding, the seedbed should be firmed with a roller or cultipacker. After the seed is broadcast, it should be dried for at least 24 hours before planting.
What is the most profitable crop per acre?
One of the most profitable crops to grow is bamboo. It takes about three to four years to produce a ton of bamboos, but it can bring in lots of revenue.
How much does it cost to fertilize an acre of alfalfa?
It costs about $50 per acre per cutting for mowing, raking, and baling to harvest alfalfa. The next step is to consider the cost and yield. The first step in determining the yield of a crop is determining how much of the crop will be used for food.
How much money do alfalfa farmers make?
Miller used data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to estimate the profitability of alfalfa over the course of three years. “We’re not going to be able to say for sure until the end of the year,” Miller said.
How many lbs of alfalfa seeds per acre?
It is more common to sow on spring. On average, we need about 44-88 lbs. (20-40 kg) of raw seeds per hectare, or 17-36 l bs. per acre. (Keep in mind that 1 ton = 1000 kg = 2.200 lbs. and 1 hectare = 2,47 acres = 10.000 square meters).
Why do farmers add phosphorus fertilizer to their sowing machine?
Many farmers add a phosphorus fertilizer in the alfalfa sowing machine, because any phosphorus deficiency will inhibit alfalfa’s root development (ask a licensed agronomist in your area). In general, the number of alfalfa plants per hectare declines as the crop matures.
How much does alfalfa seed cost?
With good alfalfa seed costing $7 to $12 per pound this can be a costly mistake.
How much does it cost to seed an acre of alfalfa?
With good alfalfa varieties selling at $7.00 per lb., this can mean of difference in seeding cost of $35.00 to $36.00 per acre. It is worthwhile to calibrate a seeder. If one does not want to take the time and effort to follow the recommended calibration procedure for the drill, one should at least determine the acreage seeded with the first bag and, if different than 4 acres, adjust the seeding rate accordingly.
How does Gary Vondracheck collect information on seeding rate?
Over several years Gary Vondracheck collected information on seeding rate of different varieties through farmers’ seeders left at the same setting. The results are shown in the following tables in which each column heading indicates the location of the farm and type of seeder used. The results show that large differences in seeding rate can occur when a seeder is not calibrated with each new lot of seed.
What factors affect the seeding rate of alfalfa?
Seed size and test weight are the factors likely affecting the variation in seeding rate. Thus, a farmer should calibrate with each different lot of seed and each year even if the same variety of alfalfa is being planted. The tables also indicate that coated seed seeded at a higher rate than uncoated seed. If using coated seed, the seeding rate ...
How many seeds are in a pound?
In addition to seeding rate differences, seed lots also vary in seed size from 190,000 to 230,000 seeds per pound. The seed size alone can account for a difference of 4 to 6 seeds per square foot, even if the same number of pounds are seeded per acre.
Is coated seed higher than uncoated seed?
The tables also indicate that coated seed seeded at a higher rate than uncoated seed. If using coated seed, the seeding rate must be adjusted down to get the same seeding rate (pounds per acre) as when using uncoated seed.
