Alfalfa is important
as a highly nutritious livestock forage throughout the Southern Region.
Farmers who consistently produce high-quality alfalfa have little problem
finding buyers willing to pay competitive prices. In Oklahoma alone, gross
income to farmers from sale of alfalfa hay averages more than $100 million
a year.
Alfalfa production priorities in research
and Extension are set by Oklahoma
scientists and farmers, working together.
In Oklahoma, the Alfalfa Integrated
Management (AIM) team has coordinated research and Extension efforts toward
the dual goal of developing improved management systems that will not only
control pests such as the alfalfa weevil and blue alfalfa aphid but also
meet demand for increasingly higher forage quality levels. The Southern
Region IPM grants program has provided more than $240,000 in essential
funding for the team's work.
The AIM team, led by Richard
Berberet, is composed in part of researchers and Extension specialists
employed in Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences
and Natural Resources. These scientists work with farmers who are members
of the Oklahoma Alfalfa Hay and Seed Association to set the priorities
for research and Extension activities in alfalfa production. They also work
with Extension programs to encourage adoption of research-developed management
approaches for more profitable forage production.
Cost/Benefit Assessments Key in Decision Making
A series of multi-disciplinary projects resulted
in cost/benefit assessments to assist farmers in selecting the most profitable
management options fortheirforage production and utilization systems. Agronomic
factors such as harvest schedules have been integrated with varied options
for control of insect pests, pathogens, and weeds.
The best management system
for producing high-quality hay for dairy cattle,for example, will not be
the most profitable system for producing hay for on-farm use in a cow-calf
operation. For the highest quality forage, the shorter harvest intervals
and rigorous decision making required with IPM may be profitable only at
prices paid for hay in the dairy market. To help meet the demands for high-quality
dairy hay, the AIM team has developed highly effective programs for pest
control and has improved criteria for decision making about pesticides.
Additional options for
forage use have been explored through research on periodic grazing of alfalfa
hay stands. Grazing during winter or early spring has been initiated as
a profitable way to use alfalfa forage and, in many instances, also provide
effective control for insect pests and weeds. Through use of systems developed
by the AIM team, productive stand life can be increased by one to two years
with considerable additional income for farmers.
More Information Means Better Alfalfa Management
The AIM team has increased communication between
farmers and research and Extension personnel in several ways to further
promote management systems that yield both quality and profit.
With the help of the Oklahoma
Alfalfa Hay and Seed Association, information on stand establishment and
harvest management has been prepared using a question- and- answer format.
Farmers provided the questions, and together, researchers and Extension
specialists provided the answers. Also, a monthly newsletter published
by the association offers up-to-date pest management information.
The AIM team's latest project is an alfalfa
calendar on the World Wide Web at: http://www.agr.okstate.edu/alfalfa/pageone/alfa-cal.htm
This Web site was developed with a grant
from the Southern Region IPM program. Internet users will find a wide range
of information on alfalfa production and marketing at this site.
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| The shake-bucket sampling method can be used for optimal timing of alfalfa weevil controls. |
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An effective IPM
program made it possible for this highly productive stand to be maintained
for five years.
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| James Duthie
Oklahoma State University/WWAREC Box 128 Lane, OK 74555 (580) 889-7343 |
Gerrit Cuperus
Oklahoma State University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology Stillwater,OK 74078 |
