top of page

ALFALFA
MPUMULUNGA, SOUTH AFRICA - 2012

Alfalfa is widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay, but can also be made into silage, grazed, or fed greenchop. Alfalfa usually has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops. It is used less frequently as pasture. When grown on soils where it is well-adapted, alfalfa is often the highest yielding forage plant, but its primary benefit is the combination of high yield per hectare and high nutritional quality. Its primary use is as feed for high producing dairy cows—because of its high protein content and highly digestible fiber—and secondarily for beef cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Alfalfa requires sustained levels of potassium and phosphorus to grow well. It is also moderately sensitive to salt levels in both the soil and irrigation water, and requires close attention to pH and maintenance if necessary.

 

Despite the fact that most alfalfa farmers follow a conservative and budget conscious nutrient program for their alfalfa crops, the inclusion of Micronomix can offer significant benefits.

Untreated-Alfalfa.jpg

In the photo above, this particular alfalfa crop is experiencing poor and inconsistent growth. While some areas showed normal growth, many other sections of the crop had stunted growth largely in part to fusarium in those sections. The primary objective therefore was to enrich the soil to enhance crop uniformity, increase growth rate and density of leaves. The secondary objectives was to demonstrate how these improvements can be achieved while simultaneously decreasing N-P-K inputs.   

 

OBJECTIVES:

 

  • Reduce Chemical Fertilizer Requirements

  • Improve Nutrient Optimization

  • Help Maintain Balanced Ph Levels

  • Reduce Soil Compaction

  • Reduce Nematode Infestations

  • Increase Crop Yield

  • Reduce Fusarium Infestations

  • Increase Brix

ErgofitoAlfalfa.jpg

RESULTS:

 

The crop responded extremely positively to the Micronomix treatments. A total of 8 treatments were made – one per cut. Leaf dimensions of the plants increased significantly and overall health the plants were excellent with little to no remaining signs of fusarium. The farmer reported a 52% increase in yield over the course of the treatment while simultaneously reducing his N-P-K input by 35%. All though not formally documented, dairy cows receiving this newly treated Alfalfa have shown a boost in milk production, most likely as a result of the increased Brix values in the Alfalfa.

bottom of page