OCR Text |
Show Co. Agent Advises Fall Irrigation To Protect Alfalfa Alfalfa fields should go into the winter '' with an adequate supply of soil moisture if winter growth of the plants is to start early in the spring, suggests S. R. Boswell, Utah county agent. This can be done, he says, by a late irrigation where water is available and the subsoil is dry or in need of moisture. Water stored in the subsoil this fall will ' be there'for the'alfalfa plAnta ; ' ' early next spring and . will help . ,t to start the hay 'growing rapidly . " - Winter killing of alfalfa may be ; caused by one or a combination of several factors, according to inury is to be avoided and if Mr. Boswell, If the soil is too wet, the plants may be broken-off broken-off or pulled out of the ground by heaving. In a dry soil the plant roots become so desicated that exposure to low temperatures tempera-tures causes killing. Also killing may occur through the plants starting growth during dur-ing a warm period of winter followed fol-lowed by subfreezing tempera- v ture. While the latter type of killing cannot be controlled, Mr. Boswell points out that winter 1 injury due to excessive or too little moisture can be prevented by proper irrigation. "Water applied in the fall or early spring should be given the same attention that is usually given summer irrigation. Frequent Fre-quent changing of the stream to give even distribution will prevent pre-vent water logging and provide plants over the whole area with an adequate moisture supply,"" concludes Mr. Boswell. |