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Seeding Alfalfa

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Jigs(granted, the pivots are nice, they save time water and prevent erosion)
How does a pivot prevent erosion? I have never been around them so i don't know much about them.
 
I have tried several ways and the best stands I have ever gotten are by having the liquid fertilizer, liquid lime and seed applied at one time - - one half rate and then at a right angle the other half rate then cultipacking it in. I do not use a cover crop and can count on two cuttings the first year and then four after that. I tried without the lime once as my supplier was out and he did two fields the same day, one with liquid lime and the other with just added water. The field with the lime was as close to perfect as you could get and the one with water was a total loss.
 
George, Some guys around here swear by seeding 1/2 rate one way and the other 1/2 90 degrees to the first pass. Some even sow full rate one way and then just pull their press drill across empty at a right angle to the first pass. I'm going to try a couple variations on that theme next spring on a small (30 acre) field, but I suspect that it is all about proper COMPACTION.
Up here, 2 cuts is common, maybe 3 on irrigated land(if the frost stays away) and 4 is unheard of.
Why the lime??? Acidic soil?? Too wet????
 
Andy

the pivots spread the water out like a rain...... you can set it to put on any amount you want. we time it to put on an inch every 5 days. It saves the erosion as compared to flood irrigation. Our area is really trying new ideas to conserve water. And this year we are guinea pigging a couple pivots to see what we can find out.
 
we always use lime on our pasture land but not the alfalfa fields. we are on 3rd cutting right now and it looks decent. better than the first cuttin april was the 3rd driest in history. I was driving through neb this year going to SD and wondering just how good a ceter pivot would do down where i live... the closest irrigation is done about 50 miles away i beleive with center pivots...
 
According to my dealer even though my land is OK in lime the extra lime causes a very quick germination ( the seed is in suspention in the liquid lime) and a hardy early growth. I don't irrigate but we get very timly rains most years.
 
In times when our moisture is limited, I grow oats first year, cut and bale. Second year I plant 5 # of alfalf seed and 3# of grass seed into the standing dead oat stalks. Provides the packed ground, and a little shade for the new crop.
 

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