Alfalfa & Forage News

2019 Annual Alfalfa and Forage Field Day Thursday, September 19, 2019 UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier 9240 S. Riverbend Ave. NO COST TO ATTEND Get ready for a half day of forage research demonstrations and educational presentations in the field and in the classroom.

A question came to me from a crop consultant. His alfalfa grower asked him how he could increase crude protein (CP) in his alfalfa. The buyer of the alfalfa, for the most part, is happy with the hay.

Come and join farmers, industry reps, PCAs and researchers at the annual Grains/Alfalfa Field Day at UC Davis The annual UC Davis Small Grains and Alfalfa Field Day will take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at the Agronomy Field Headquarters (2400 Hutchison Drive, Davis, CA 95616).

Painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) are dazzling us with color, but surprising us with sporadic finds of caterpillars on crops this year, including alfalfa, pistachio, walnuts, artichokes, and hybrid sunflower (see IPM Advisor Emily Symmes blog: What's that Caterpillar on my Weeds?).

It is both a blessing and a curse that alfalfa in California's Central Valley essentially grows all winter long. Although we can get very high early yields, if conditions are too wet, the fields look pretty ragged after a winter which saw rains in excess of 130% of normal.