Some bouts of persistent rainy weather meant harvest equipment drove over many first cut alfalfa acres when the soil was wet or saturated. The impact of driving equipment on those fields is visible in terms of fewer plants and/or less vigorous regrowth.
Obviously driving tractors and harvesting equipment over wet soil causes compaction that reduces yield. Another yield loss factor alfalfa growers need to consider is the fact wheel traffic during each harvest, regardless of wet or dry soil conditions, can break off alfalfa stem regrowth.
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Bruce Anderson, Extension Forage Specialist at the University of Nebraska, in an article titled “Wheel Traffic Reduces Alfalfa Yield and Persistence,” wrote “when fields are dry and firm, plants driven on within one day of cutting and before regrowth occurs will yield 5 to 7 percent less at next cutting. When fields are wet, wheel traffic causes more compaction and yield loss typically exceeds 30 percent, even if regrowth has not yet started.”
Equipment damage on field reduces harvest yield
Research at the University of Wisconsin by Dan Undersander, Extension Forage Agronomist, compared wheel traffic of harvest equipment at two days after cutting versus five days after cutting. Results indicated the yield at next harvest was reduced about 6% for each day of delay in driving over the field. Yield loss resulted from regrowth stems broken by tires.
Minimize yield loss from tire traffic breaking stems by removing the forage from the field as soon as possible after cutting and applying any manure or fertilizer immediately after harvest rather than waiting until regrowth has started.
Specific recommendations to minimize wheel traffic damage include harvesting high yielding alfalfa fields as a high moisture forage such as silage or baleage. Consider using larger harvest equipment to reduce the percent of field covered with wheel tracks. Avoid unnecessary trips across the field.
When trips are necessary it is better to drive over the same area multiple times rather than “spreading out” trips across the field. Remember, most soil compaction occurs in that first pass.
Scout now for potato leaf hopper in alfalfa
Wayne County integrated pest management (IPM) crop scouts are finding potato leafhoppers (PLH) in area alfalfa fields. PLH numbers have ranged from low to pushing economic treatment levels.
Area alfalfa growers should consider regular field scouting for PLH because this is one of the economically significant pests of alfalfa. The potato leafhopper is a small bright green wedge shaped insect that arrives in our area each year on storm fronts from the Gulf Coast region.
PLH is a sucking insect. PLH feeding causes stunting of alfalfa plants resulting in yield loss. Excessive stress on plants by heavy PLH feeding can result in yield reductions in the current as well as subsequent cuttings.
A common symptom of PLH feeding is a wedge-shaped yellowing of leaf tips, but at this point, some damage has been done. Regular scouting can help to detect PLH earlier and determine if there is a need for a rescue treatment. Scouting involves the use of a sweep net.
There is no other way to properly and accurately scout for PLH. The procedure is to take three to five samples for each 25 acres from random areas within the field. One sample consists of 10 pendulum sweeps. After the 10-sweep sample, carefully inspect the net contents and count the number of PLH adults and nymphs.
For non-PLH resistant alfalfa varieties, treatment is warranted if the number of PLH adults and nymphs is equal to or greater than the average height of the alfalfa.
An OSU Extension fact sheet on PLH is available on-line at https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-33.
Frank Becker is an OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program assistant and IPM Program coordinator. He may be reached at 330-264-8722.
The Link LonkJune 22, 2021 at 03:56PM
https://www.the-daily-record.com/story/business/agricultural/2021/06/22/wheel-traffic-damage-alfalfa-fields-needs-addressed-quickly/7752498002/
Wheel traffic damage on alfalfa fields needs to be addressed quickly - Wooster Daily Record
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