If you read national magazines covering hay and forage topics you may have seen some articles discussing the use of fungicides in alfalfa hay production to control leaf diseases.

Until recently, almost all fungicides registered for alfalfa hay were for seed treatments. It used to be the value of alfalfa didn’t justify the cost of applying foliar fungicides, but that has changed! In the past few years Headline, Quadris and Pristine have been registered in California for use on alfalfa hay. I conducted trials with these fungicides for efficacy against Sclerotinia stem and crown rot (“white mold”) but at a time of the year when foliar diseases are not widespread and, even if present, are minor compared to frost...

If trends continue as per current predictions, the continued drought in California will have serious impacts to forage production in 2014, affecting the availability and price of animal feed.

It’s like an 800-pound gorilla in the room, worrying everyone including growers, suppliers, livestock operators and consumers alike. According to the Western Regional Climate Center, October-December of 2013 was the driest on record in California. Other western states are also experiencing drought to varying degrees (note the U.S. Drought monitor map for the west below). Current predictions are for zero to slight chances of rainfall for the rest of January for most of California.

Figure 1. ...

Early reports are coming in from PCAs that Blue Alfalfa Aphid (BAA), as well as other common aphids, are already making their appearance in alfalfa.

In 2013, there were widespread but localized outbreaks throughout southern and central California including locations in the Imperial, Palo Verde, Antelope, and San Joaquin Valleys. Within the San Joaquin Valley, western Kern and southwestern Merced County were most severely affected.

This earlier than normal aphid appearance has come as a surprise as many alfalfa fields are not normally being scouted during January. The attached photos indicate the severity of the build-up on seedling alfalfa. Reports from Merced and Kern Counties indicate early and high...

We are facing the third-in-a-row, below average rainfall year and 2013–14 has started out as the worst of the 3 years. With the State's reservoirs depleted, many irrigation districts will be delivering little to no water to their customers. That leaves groundwater as the remaining water source for those fortunate enough to have wells.

When water is in short supply, growers have few good options. Annual crop growers may choose to idle land when water is not available, but tree and vine growers, and alfalfa growers, have a crop in the ground that needs water.

So what does an alfalfa grower do during a drought? Luckily, information is available on making the best use of any available water and if the...