Alfalfa – 3rd Most Valuable Field Crop in U.S.

Alfalfa is the third most valuable field crop produced in the U.S., valued at over $9.3 billion, $1.2 billion more than the value of wheat, according to 2017 figures recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Alfalfa needs to take it’s rightful position along side corn, soybean, wheat, cotton, and rice which are often referred to as the “Big 5”. Click here for the complete article.

NAFA DC Fly-In Focuses on Safety Net,
Research Funding

Alfalfa farmers need an increased public investment in alfalfa-related research at USDA, as well as an improvement in crop insurance options which provide a safety net for alfalfa farmers. This was the message National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) representatives took to lawmakers and agency officials during the organization's 8th annual Washington, D.C., Fly-In. Held Feb. 6-8, the Fly-In included nearly 100 meetings that helped build awareness and recognition for the nation’s 3rd most valuable field crop – alfalfa.

NAFA Fly-In participants met with agency officials and regulators, as well as House and Senate Ag and Ag Appropriations Committee members, to discuss NAFA objectives and issues important to the alfalfa industry. When talking with staff from the House and Senate Ag Committees, NAFA brought attention to the need for risk management tools that provide an adequate safety net for forage farmers. Since alfalfa is not a program crop, current risk management tools contained in the Farm Bill – Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage – are not available to alfalfa farmers. This situation incentivizes farmers to shift acres away from non-covered commodities, such as alfalfa, into program crops. Click here for the complete article.

Crop Protection Tools, Protection of Pollinators the Focus of NAFA EPA Meeting

NAFA's DC Fly-In provided its members the opportunity to meet with regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and discuss integrated pest management, protecting pollinators, and access to critical crop protection tools, all essential components of successful alfalfa seed production.

Alkali and leafcutter bees are the pollinators primarily used to pollinate alfalfa seed, and farmers go to great lengths to protect them. While crop protection tools are necessary to ward off harmful pests, bee safety is a top priority for alfalfa seed farmers.

The meeting gave NAFA’s alfalfa seed farmer representatives the opportunity to demonstrate to EPA the great lengths to which they go to ensure the safety of their bees, as well as to talk about the crop protection tools that will be most effective against harmful pests while maintaining bee safety. Alfalfa seed farmers have worked for years to develop effective integrated pest management plans and other tools to protect bees and used this opportunity with EPA to discuss those activities.

For many years, the partnerships between EPA, NAFA, State Departments of Agriculture, and alfalfa seed farmers have allowed for the growth and prosperity of the alfalfa seed industry, while at the same time protected essential and sensitive bees which are critical to the successful production of alfalfa seed. Continuing to cultivate and enhance this relationship is an ongoing priority for NAFA.

Putting Alfalfa with HarvXtra^® Technology
to the Test
Daniel Wiersma, Alfalfa Business Manager, DuPont Pioneer

What more can be said about alfalfa with HarvXtra® technology? In the past few years, most alfalfa meetings or conferences have featured a speaker talking about reduced lignin or HarvXtra technology. Granted, it is very exciting technology which can revolutionize alfalfa for growers and livestock producers alike. However, it is now time for us to hear from alfalfa growers, dairy farmers, and nutritionists to understand how HarvXtra is working on the farm. In recent conversations with HarvXtra growers, we have gained insight into their experiences with and feedback on this new technology. Click here for the complete article.

Reduce Lodging in Alfalfa to Preserve Yield and Quality Alfalfa
Robin Newell, S&W Seed Company

Count yourself blessed, or just plain lucky, if you are an alfalfa grower who has never had to harvest a lodged alfalfa crop. Harvesting a lodged crop may not be as difficult in alfalfa as in some other crops, but there are yield and quality penalties to pay in a lodged alfalfa crop. Click here for the complete article.

"Alfalfa as a livestock feed has direct value in rations for a diversity of livestock. Alfalfa provides multiple ecosystem services, and is an important rotation crop for breaking insect pest, weed, and disease cycles. Alfalfa reduces soil erosion, captures nutrients from annual crop fields that can contaminate surface and ground water, and promotes soil carbon sequestration."

All AFRP/APRI final reports and current project objectives can be found on NAFA's website at http://alfalfa.org/research.php in a convenient searchable database.