An alfalfa plant over 1/2 or 1 year old will be putting toxins in the soil that usually kill any new alfalfa seed trying to sprout that is within 18-24 inches of the old plant.
So you cannot plant new alfalfa seed into a field that has old alfalfa plants growing in it.
After 3 moths of good growing weather and _no_ living alfalfa plants, those toxins go away. But most folks feel better waiting a full year of some other crop befroe replanting alfalfa - it is difficult to kill off every old alfalfa plant quickly.
Both alfalfa and soybeans are legume plants, in the same family. So you use some of the same herbicides, and they are subject to a few of the same diseases/ insects. Both beans and alfalfa use up P and somewhat K, and produce excess N, so they are the same, not complementary on fertilizer use.
If corn is a good crop in your area, like I said below, it would be grass crop, easier to control weeds, insects, and diseases, uses the build up N you have in the ground, and in most places, it pays off better than beans - tho yes it does take more money to get it growing.
Don't know where you are located so don't know which crop is right for you, but in most situations corn is a much better crop behind 4 year old alfalfa than beans would be.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Fire in the Field A hay fire is no laughing matter-well, maybe one was! And a good life-lesson, too. Following World War II many farm boys returned home both older and wiser. One such man was my employer the summer I was sixteen. He was a farmer by birth and a farmer by choice, and like many returning soldiers, he was our silent hero: without medals or decorations, but with a certain ability to survive. It was on his farm that I learned to use the combination hand clutch and brake on a John D
... [Read Article]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.