hay or beans again

My field is presently a mixture, 30-40% alfalfa, and 60% grass mixture, Smooth Brome, a bit of orchard, and very little red clover. There is one type of grass I can"t identify; it"s about 3" tall, grows in a cluster, long narrow leaves alternate sides, has purple seed heads, alot of leaves at the base where the stem is oval shaped, and has a waxy coating on the whole plant. Can someone help me with this ID? Another question, what"s the differance between Warm and Cool season grasses? I can"t figure it out. I did noticed the bromegrass bunches have produced much in the last half of the summer, does it have something to do with the heat? Thanks for all the help, and opinions. Rich

--->Paul

As far as what to do with the field, my question is 'why'? That sounds like a marketable hay field now. Pure grass may be too but at todays nitrogen costs that adds a lot to getting equal yields. Soybeans are ok, can make some decent money but if I recall they lokoked iffy to you on economics. Alfalfa if you want to can be selectively removed with 2,4-D or Banvel. I think that the field as it is now should give you upwards of 200 square bales per acre, at $2 a bale thats $400. Even assuming a harvest cost of $150 and a fertilizer cost of $80 an acre this is still clearing well over $150 an acre, even at a bargain price of $2 a bale.

I also have some misc. weeds in the field, mostly broadleaves, some grasses too, like foxtails. What would you recommend for that? Now I"m thinking of waiting another year and see what the fert. does for me, thanks again.

I soil test every year on alfalfa and lime/fertilize in the fall to soil test. Plus I hit it again after the first (hay) cutting with 100# DAP (18-46-0) and 200# muriate of potash (0-0-60) per acre. My soils test naturally pretty high in phosphate so rarely does the test call for any in the fall. Usually have to put on a big dose of K in the fall which helps avoid winter kill (typically my fall soil test calls for 300-400# of muriate per acre plus a little boron). Alfalfa is a huge consumer of potassium (potash), something like 300# K per acre under normal yields.

Best cure for foxtail and other warm season weeds is a mower. Most of them cant stand a 30-40 day mowing schedule.

Blooming at 10" tells me something is going on with the tap root. First thought is a water or nutrient problem at about 20". Droughty conditions and an acid subsoil can limit growth like this. That describes my third cutting this year, it had to grow without any rain at all. Yields took a hit, down about 18 bales per acre on some. Looking like real compensatory yields on 4 and 5 with 5" of water from Katrina.