As many of you are working towards your 4th alfalfa harvest of the year, it is also time to think about when to finish any planned alfalfa plantings for 2025. It is recommended that new alfalfa plantings be completed 8 weeks prior to the average first frost of the year. For Wayne County, we can see the first frost event between October 11th and October 20th. This would mean we need to wrap up the planting of new alfalfa stands by the last week of August.
Selecting a variety to plant is the first step in the process. There is some give and take between maximizing yield potential and selecting a variety that will persist in our environment. Selecting a variety with appropriate winter hardiness and fall dormancy ratings is the starting point when sorting through potential candidates. New buds are formed each fall and are where new spring growth is initiated. Winter hardiness is the rating used to measure how well these buds survive the winter. Fall dormancy is determined by measuring how tall alfalfa will grow from early fall to the first killing frost. Varieties that remain short are considered very dormant and have a rating of 1 where those that have the highest fall yield are considered less dormant (very non-dormant, rating 11). For Ohio, it is recommended that you consider a winter hardiness score of 2 and a fall dormancy of 3 to 4. As you increase winter hardiness and fall dormancy, you do give up some late-season yield potential but increase stand persistence.
Consider potato leafhopper when picking alfalfa variety
Once you have settled on your hardiness and dormancy rating, you will need to pick the varieties that offer production traits that match your management. We highly recommend varieties that offer superior tolerance to potato leafhopper. This trait can now be combined with varieties that offer disease resistance and tolerance to glyphosate. Several of our neighboring states offer alfalfa variety trial data to help you compare varieties you may be considering.
After selecting a good alfalfa variety, there are two critical factors for getting a new planting off and running, adequate soil fertility and weed control. Fortunately, we typically have much less weed pressure in the late summer, to early fall. Soil pH can be a struggle, as you would have had to address it the previous year if adjustments are required. When considering a fall alfalfa seeding, it is important to have pH and soil nutrients at the recommended levels. This will facilitate rapid stand establishment, so that the plants are prepared for the coming winter. The Tri-State Fertilizer Guide recommends that soil test levels for Phosphorus be between 30 to 50 parts per million (ppm) and 120 to 170 ppm for Potassium. The ideal soil pH is 6.8. If your soils are below a 6.5 you may need to consider making your lime application and delaying planting until next spring.
Mind the weeds; they are not welcome
In the fall, there will be less weed pressure and a nurse crop is generally not recommended as compared to the spring. Weeds that emerge with the crop are the most damaging. Your goal should be for the first 60 days after planting to be weed free. If you will be no-till seeding, it is important to control existing vegetation prior to planting, especially perennial weeds. You can determine which herbicides to use, based on your existing weed populations, by consulting the 2024 Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Weed Control Guide. Seeding rates can range from 10 to 20 pounds per acre depending on planting method and soil type. If no-till seeding, you should be in the 15 to 20 pound range, and when seeding into a prepared seedbed you can reduce seeding rates to 10 to 15 pounds per acre. Your planting depth should be ¼ to ½ inch. When no-till seeding, make sure that your no-till coulter depth is not deeper than your seed placement depth.
It is unlikely that you will have an opportunity to harvest your fall seeding prior to winter dormancy. In established stands, the last cutting should be made no later than 6 weeks prior to the first frost. This moves our final harvest window to mid-September, or early October if you are willing to roll the dice on when temperatures will fall. Once the plants have entered winter dormancy they have stopped photosynthesis, and it is possible to take a post dormancy harvest. This isn’t recommended for newly seeded stands. As you have heard me say before, it is important to ensure that there has been sufficient growth to help the plant overwinter and initiate growth next spring. Sufficient top growth will help protect the crown from heaving. The added benefit of the top growth is supporting any snow load, which can insulate the crown when temperatures drop below 25 degrees.
Wayne County Fair, Farm Science Review, and seminars
We are rapidly approaching the 2025 Wayne County Fair. I look forward to seeing the results of our youths’ hard work as they exhibit their projects. Just after fair, we get to head south for the Farm Science Review. This year it is from Sept 16th to the 18th. I will be spending most of my time there at the OSU Ag Safety and Livestock areas, so stop by and say hello as you make your way around the grounds. Pre-show tickets are $10 and can be purchased online (https://go.osu.edu/fsr2025) or at the Extension Office.
For county programs, we will be hosting the 2025 Ag Lender Seminar on October 21st. The program is for the local banking community to update them on factors affecting agriculture for the next year. We will cover topics such as: grain market outlook, impact of the “One Beautiful Bill” on agriculture, and policy impacts on agriculture trade. Also beginning on October 21st, we will have the first of four sessions of the Small Farm Business College. The program will be held each Tuesday night with the last session on November 11th. It is designed for those small farm producers that are just getting started and need help managing their small farm business. We will have more information available soon on both of these programs. As always, if you want to stay up to date on the programs we offer, or have any livestock or forage management questions, please feel free to contact me at the OSU Extension office – Wayne County at 330-264-8722 or email me at yost.77@osu.edu.
John Yost is an extension educator IV, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at OSU Extension-Wayne County.
This article was previously published in The Daily Record.