Alfalfa Harvest Alert: May 24th

Nathan Drewitz, Local UMN Extension Educator - Crops, Stearns, Benton, and Morrison Counties

All cooperators are now reporting results. Alfalfa harvest has begun as far north as Buckman which means we are almost finished with the Scissor Cut program for this season. There have been some reports of alfalfa weevils in western Minnesota and there is some shot holing in leaves here in central Minnesota. However, pest problems have remained low and the damage present does not yet warrant control. With harvest on the horizon, I would expect these to not be major issues. Regardless, stands should still be monitored for potential pest problems.

Alfalfa Harvest Report for May 24th:
Alfalfa Harvest Report May 24th

The goal of this program is to encourage growers to be strategic with alfalfa hay crop harvest. Farmers should make decisions based on their specific feed and market needs and field observations.

You can also compare the different counties and farms that have participated in the Alfalfa Harvest Alert Program since 2010 at z.umn.edu/AlfalfaHarvestAlert. We hope that this new tool will be useful in making better alfalfa management decisions.

You can get the most recent information through email by signing up at z.umn.edu/tricountysignup and looking for the “Hay Auction and Scissor Cut/Alfalfa Harvest Alert” box.