OCR Text |
Show Grow Alfalfa for Seed . uumuei oi i tan ai -fa I fa growers are looking look-ing with renewed interest inter-est this year to alfalfa production. High yields and prices growers obtained ob-tained from their 1072 crop are regenerating interest in producing alfalfa al-falfa seed. Over the years the interest has flucuated a n d waned. Due to poor ields and low prices production dropped 78 percent in the last nine ears. The estimated 1 1 ,111111 acres harvested in 1072 is the smallest acreage in the past ."() vears. High alfalfa al-falfa hay p r ices had taken further loll of the seed growers' interest. However, bell e r grow ing techniques used by those growers tenacious ten-acious enough to stay in the business, generally favorable growing conditions con-ditions and use of the leaf cutter bee, an efficient ef-ficient alfalfa pollinator, pollinat-or, all have favored increased in-creased yields this past year. These were estimated es-timated at 320 pounds of clean seed per acre, compared to state average av-erage yields that have ranged from 115 to 200 pounds per acre since 1951. Kven considerably higher yields can be obtained ob-tained consistently. Dr. John W. Carlson, professor pro-fessor emeritus of agronomy, ag-ronomy, now inhisHO's, former superintendent of the Uintah Hasin Alfalfa Al-falfa Seed Kxperi mental Farm, has demonstrated demonstrat-ed this in work with a dry farmer in Northern Utah. They have averaged averag-ed GOO pounds of seed per acre during the past six years. The yields ranged from 580 to 740 pounds per acre over that period. In 1972 they obtained 6,142 pounds of seed on 10 acres. Prices received by growers for their 1972 crop sold to date have been well above recent years. Immediately following fol-lowing harvest in November, Nov-ember, 1972 the seed was valued at 46 cents a pound, compared to (Cont. on next page) Grow Alfalfa for Seed (From proceeding pane) 32 cents a year earlier. We can't overlook the impact that insects have had on alfalfa seed production. prod-uction. County Intension Inten-sion agents responding to a survey indicated that there are 12 major insect pests of alfalfa in the state: alfalfa weevil, wee-vil, lygus bugs, pea aphids, spotted alfalfa aphids, alfalfa seed chalcids, grasshoppers, yellow-striped army-worms, army-worms, cutworms, leaf-hoppers, leaf-hoppers, thrips, superb plant bugs and mites. Since certain insecticides insecti-cides have been banned, alfalfa growers have lost some of their insect in-sect control tools, but they still have available a number of effective products that can be used. Information on these can be obtained from the county Extension Exten-sion agents. To get a high yielding yield-ing crop of alfalfa seed, l.ygus bugs must be controlled con-trolled before the alfalfa alf-alfa starts to bloom and before significant, damage dam-age occurs to the buds. Often, they can be controlled con-trolled in conjunction with control measures used on other insect pests, such as weevil and aphids. Dr. Carlson reported that in 1972 they controlled con-trolled insectpests such as grasshoppers, army-worms army-worms and aphids with three sprayings used to control the lygus bugs and alfalfa weevil. At the bud stage they sprayed with B.H.C. (benzene hexochloride) at two quarts per acre. The other sprayings were with malathion. The sprayings after the crop was in bloom were done after sundown when the pollinating bees were out of the field. He determined the appropriate time to apply ap-ply the insecticide by using an insect net to get a count on the insect in-sect populations. There is no standard number of sprayings. Some: seasons sea-sons have required up to seven spray applications applic-ations to protect the seed crop. He says you must check the fields for insects at least every ev-ery other day since a damaging population buildup can occur almost al-most over night. We at Utah State University Un-iversity recognize that pest management is an important key to successful suc-cessful production of alfalfa al-falfa seed, even as it is for other crops. However, How-ever, more work needs to be done to develop most effective insect pest management programs pro-grams for control of insect pests on alfalfa grow n for seed. This can be done as more growers grow-ers gain interest and request our involvement. involve-ment. If the insects are adequately managed and other important prac- " ' --w -- - ,- - ----- . .. I, .. ' .: i. - i. y J ; - " Use of the drip-feed method of irrigation, instead of conventional methods, may well bring many additional acres under cultivation, if the Mill Creek Dam project becomes a reality. Here, Isaac Rinkewich, president of the company which manufactures manu-factures the drip-feed system, installs a model on agriculture test plots in Spanish Valley. tices are followed, there is no real reason why Utah grow ers interested in producing alfalfa seed can't produce profitable bumper yields. |