Harvesting with Minimal Alfalfa Damage

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Harvesting with Minimal Alfalfa Damage

• Dr. Dan Undersander
• University of Wisconsin

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Minimize wheel traffic damage
No traffic
Traffic
Wheel traffic damage can reduce next cutting
yield by 30 to 40
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Losses from wheel traffic during harvesting

• Soil compaction occurs when harvesting and
  spreading manure on alfalfa
• Major losses appear to be form breaking off
  regrowth

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Minimize wheel traffic damage
Regrowth 10 days after harvest with traffic
(left) and without traffic (right)
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Managing to Reduce Wheel Traffic Loss

• Minimize driving on field
• Use smallest tractor for equipment
• Merge windrows where possible
• Go to larger equipment
• Take most direct route to edge of field
• Make road to drive on

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Managing to Reduce Wheel Traffic Loss

• Minimize driving on field
• Do driving on field soon after harvest
• Manage to dry forage quickly
• Harvest for haylage or baleage
• Use preservative and harvest wet hay
• Use of duals not recommended
• Apply manure quickly after cutting

Loss from next cutting is 6 per day traffic
occurs after mowing
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This farmer decided to have trucks drive to flag
in middle of field and then make path to edge of
field to reduce traffic generally across field.