The second Focus on Forage webinar in the 2024 series, Focus on Alfalfa, aims to provide Wisconsin farms and agricultural professionals with current research-based recommendations regarding alfalfa planting and management strategies for the 2024 season.
Discussions are led by Scott Newell, Dr. Kim Cassida, Dr. Mark Renz, and Dr. Emily Bick on topics including the outlook for the 2024 alfalfa growing season following the 2023 drought, replanting failed stands and alfalfa autotoxicity, herbicide carryover and its effect on alfalfa establishment, and potato leafhopper management.
Expand each section below for recordings of and resources related to each talk. To find more information about the Focus on Forage webinar series, visit the Focus on Forage website.
Alfalfa Management Following 2023 Drought
Presented by: Scott Newell, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Looking forward from the 2023 drought into the 2024 growing season, what is the general outlook for new seeded and established alfalfa stands? What should and shouldn’t be of concern, and what management practices can you employ to mitigate these challenges?
Replanting Failed Stands: Alfalfa Autotoxicity
Presented by: Dr. Kim Cassida, Michigan State University
The presentation covers the effect of autotoxicity in alfalfa, the level of risk associated with replanting failed stands that were seeding during the drought of 2023, and ongoing research into the causes of autotoxicity, as well as the potential for a bioassay to assess potential damages in the future.
Herbicide Carryover in Alfalfa Establishment
Presented by: Dr. Mark Renz, University of Wisconsin–Madison
With the drought that occurred in 2023 across the Upper Midwest, there is concern that many herbicides commonly used in corn and soybean to control resistant weeds will not have sufficiently broken down, leading to an increased chance of damage to alfalfa establishment. Some of the major active ingredients that can cause damage, the reason for an increased concern following drought and a strategy to run a bioassay on sampled soils in fields of potential concern will be discussed, as well as potential mitigation strategies.
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Potato Leafhopper Management in Alfalfa
Presented by: Dr. Emily Bick, University of Wisconsin–Madison
A presentation on the management of potato leafhopper in the state of Wisconsin including results from work done in the state in 2023 surrounding control of this pest in the novel corn-alfalfa interseeding system.
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