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yellowed flowered alfalfa

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PATB

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For those that have tried yellow flowered alfalfa how did you plant it No till, broadcast, conventional till and drill? If you know of someone who has experimented with it how did they plant it. Does anyone know how the late Bud Smith seeded this ranch to yellow flowered alfalfa. The origins of yellow flowered alfalfa covers a wide area, parts of europe all the way to mongolia, north into siberia and south to katzistan(sp).
 
We hired a neighbor to do it with their air drill. Worked great. 50% meadow brome, 50% alfalfa. Great catch.

Anytime we've broadcasted anything conditions have not been optimal and we haven't had a good catch on it.
 
PureCountry said:
We hired a neighbor to do it with their air drill. Worked great. 50% meadow brome, 50% alfalfa. Great catch.

Anytime we've broadcasted anything conditions have not been optimal and we haven't had a good catch on it.
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I am going to broadcast seed in 8 locations with a small amount of seed. The main objective is to see if it will survive under local conditions. I will be donating several pounds of seed for the Umaine extension forage specialist can run couple of trials with alfalfa strains "anik" and "wild/Bud Smith".
 
Anik is the variety we have used. Has done very well for winter hardiness, seems to creep into areas of open sand as good as any other alfalfa we've tried, and responds well to grazing.

Mind you, our climate is a different world from yours. Best of luck with it.
 
PureCountry said:
Anik is the variety we have used. Has done very well for winter hardiness, seems to creep into areas of open sand as good as any other alfalfa we've tried, and responds well to grazing.

Mind you, our climate is a different world from yours. Best of luck with it.
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The main concern I have is more moisture than it was developed for. No one has experimented with it in Maine as far as I can tell.
 
Cowpuncher said:
Are you talking about falcata? I have a lot of experience with that - unfortunately it was all bad.

CP
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Yes

Two strains one developed in Canada and the other wild strain from the Bud Smith ranch in SD.
 
We bought a bunch of Falcata and planted it with grass seed using a grass drill. A few plants appeared on some 400 acres and they turned up with blue flowers. The replaced the seed and we tried again. Still nothing to show for it. Sounded like a good idea, but we figured it wasn't intended for our climate.

We have since sold the ranch, but I have noticed there is still no falcata anywhere.

CP
 
The Anik variety to my knowledge was developed in Siberia, and has been largely untampered with since being brought to North America. If it can survive Siberia, and our blow sand, it can survive alot places.

Like PATB said though, the wetter climate of Maine may not agree with it. Although, we've had double our annual rainfall 2 of the last 3 years - 24-26", and it has been thriving.
 
Cowpuncher said:
We bought a bunch of Falcata and planted it with grass seed using a grass drill. A few plants appeared on some 400 acres and they turned up with blue flowers. The replaced the seed and we tried again. Still nothing to show for it. Sounded like a good idea, but we figured it wasn't intended for our climate.

We have since sold the ranch, but I have noticed there is still no falcata anywhere.

CP
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did the grass seed do well? I have tried planting conventional alfalfa in the early fall an ended up with only several plants making over the winter. If the experiment fails and I get nothing then I am only out 200 dollars and a little of my time. If it works I stand to gain a legume in a area the clover does not work due to summer dry spells and maybe a future seed source to spread across pastures.
 
PureCountry said:
The Anik variety to my knowledge was developed in Siberia, and has been largely untampered with since being brought to North America. If it can survive Siberia, and our blow sand, it can survive alot places.

Like PATB said though, the wetter climate of Maine may not agree with it. Although, we've had double our annual rainfall 2 of the last 3 years - 24-26", and it has been thriving.
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I beleive you have colder/harsher winters then I do. Anik is supposely resistant to several of the diseases that stress alfalfa making more suceptable to winter kill in my area.
 
This Falcata sounds interesting! Do you know where is exportable certified seeds available?

Is Hybrid alfalfa suitable for cold climate? I believe that it has the best of both normal alfalfa and falcata?
 
P.A.L said:
This Falcata sounds interesting! Do you know where is exportable certified seeds available?

Is Hybrid alfalfa suitable for cold climate? I believe that it has the best of both normal alfalfa and falcata?
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I order mine from wind river seeds

http://www.windriverseed.com/

If you are buying any quanity it may pay to shop around. Canada may have more suppliers of seeds than the US.
 
It appears that anik/yellow flowered alfalfa was a bust for maine. The unofficial cooperative extension trial showed excellent germination followed by die off of the seedlings. The hayfields and pasture were seed was broadcasted have no live plants that I have found as of yet. The upside is that birdsfoot trefoil that has self seeded is spreading and liking the damp summer.
 
It appears that anik/yellow flowered alfalfa was a bust for maine. The unofficial cooperative extension trial showed excellent germination followed by die off of the seedlings. The hayfields and pasture were seed was broadcasted have no live plants that I have found as of yet. The upside is that birdsfoot trefoil that has self seeded is spreading and liking the damp summer.

What is your soil PH where you were trying to grow the alfalfa ?
 

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