Never Too Old To Learn

I'm no drylander, that's fer darned sure, but I've been watchin' with a good deal of interest a feller up the road take an old alfalfa field outta production and switch it over to wheat (I assume).

Anyway, the guy comes in there with a 14 or 15' disc very early on this spring around the 1st of April. The ground was just barely dry enough to be worked.

He disced 'er once and it looks like he got about an 85% kill. I imagine he'll work it once or twice this summer and then drill to wheat this fall. Only downside I see is that he's losing a year's production off the land.

Point being though, is that I would have thought that the old alfalfa would have to be plowed down; guess not.

Is this the way you other drylanders do it?

Allan

It is different out here, that's for sure.

Two choices due to the low moisture. Either small grain or one shot at getting one cutting of hay; there's just no middle ground 'cause on the 1st of August, whatever is there, is burnt crisp. Even too dry for the weeds. :>(

Allan

Yes Sir, I sure understand the moisture conservation thing, but what really surprised me was the amount of kill he got with just that old straight disc.

The field has been in alfalfa for at least 6 years that I know of; gotta be some significant "wrist-sized" roots going on there.

I image his timing was key? Like I say, it was "just" dry enough to be in the field the day he worked it. He was dueled up and had that old disc angled as far as it would go.

I might maybe have to pull this stunt on 70 acres and I'm watchin' him like a hawk tryin' to learn. :>)

Allan

I've tried killing alfalfa with a small field cultivator. Didn't work well, Moldboard plow worked best for me.

Gerald J.

But can you retain what you learn.

Would seem to me you could take a cutting or two of alfalfa,plow the field and work it a few times with disk or harrow or spring tooth and then plant your wheat.

steveormary

Boy, dunno 'bout that. That old alfalfa ground gets pretty darned hard 'bout the middle of August.

I was looking at that field again this morning. Now that the ground temps have come up, so has about 60% of the alfalfa that he had disced up.

I'm stickin' with the plow method. :>)

Allan

You are supposed to have the alfalfa sowed by the middle of August. But I have been told you can sow alfalfa about any time. Sow the alfalfa in dry ground and wait for a rain.

Dont remember what time of year it was but plowed some alfalfa ground with the TO 30. Plow would hit the big roots and the front end would bounce. Did the whole 9 acres that way.

steveormary