Introduction
“The Queen of Forages” is one title that alfalfa has earned in North America. Since its introduction in 1750s in the Americas alfalfa has grown to be the number one forage legume produced in North America. Alfalfa can be green chopped for silage, baled dry, baled as baleage, or used as pasture. Lucerne another common name for alfalfa has the highest feeding value of any other forage legume crop. High in digestible energy and protein makes alfalfa a valuable feed to livestock. Quality alfalfa primarily used for feeding dairy cows contains up to 22 percent of crude protein (CP) and 70 percent of total digestible nutrients (TDN). As there’s a great demand for alfalfa, alfalfa has been modified to grow in different climates.
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Varieties focus on major factors leading to profitability including yield potential, persistence, winter hardiness, disease resistance, and forage quality. Alfalfa a long-lived herbaceous perennial has deep taproots. These taproots can penetrate deep into the soil. This helps alfalfa to withstand droughts and get more nutrients from the soil. Their flowers vary in color from corolla purple, blue, to yellow and are in loose clusters of 10 to 35 flowers. Seed pods of alfalfa range from a sickle type or a twisted spiral. Each pod has several small kidney-shaped seeds which contains 2 to 6 seeds. Alfalfa’s stems grow from a woody crown to about 30 to 120 cm tall. New growth occurs from buds in the crown. Leaves are alternately arranged on the stem and are normally trifoliate which means three leaflets on each leaf. These leaves are important because that is where most of the valuable nutrients are. Alfalfa’s scientific name is Medicago sativa. Being a C3 plant, alfalfa needs a lot of water. For every kg of dry matter produced alfalfa needs 450 to 950 kg of water. Alfalfa’s optimum temperature for photosynthesis is 10 to 25 degrees celsius. Once the temperature gets higher than that alfalfa has to transpirate more which leads to more use of water. Soil Requirements Alfalfa being a very hardy plant can tolerate many different types of soil but for maximum production well-drained, loamy soil is required.
When soil pH levels are maintained at 6.5 to 6.8 alfalfa grows best. Alfalfa can tolerate pH levels down to 4.5. As a producer if you see a decline in pH, applications of lime would increase pH levels. Fertilization of phosphorus (phosphate) and potassium (potash) is also required for high production. Phosphorus levels increase root growth for the plant. Alfalfa will remove 10 pounds of phosphorus per ton per acre out of the soil. Potassium another nutrient used by alfalfa helps the survival of alfalfa stands and increases yield. Alfalfa will remove 50 pounds of potassium per ton per acre out of the soil. For example if you have an alfalfa field that will yield 5 tons per acre you will need spread 50 pounds of phosphorus and 250 pounds of potassium per acre. Alfalfa being a very hardy plant alfalfa still needs adequate fertilizing to have a successful production …show more content…
season. Alfalfa fixes nitrogen back into the soil by bacteria in the root nodules.
This bacteria known as rhizobia requires it to be inside the root nodules to fix nitrogen for the plant. An average acre of alfalfa puts 200 pounds of nitrogen into the soil per year. This being why alfalfa is put into a crop rotation with other crops that need a lot of nitrogen. Alfalfa’s lifespan can range from 3 to 10 years depending on soil type and how well the alfalfa is maintained. When an alfalfa field of 40 acres is in alfalfa for 5 years it puts 20 tons of nitrogen into the soil ready to be used for the next crop. One famous crop rotation is corn and alfalfa. Farmers see an extreme yield boast when corn is planted following alfalfa. Research has shown that corn yields increase by 10 to 15 percent. Nitrogen fertilizer cost for first-year corn can be reduced by 100 percent. Alfalfa also is planted for as a soil-conserving crop which improves soil structure, fertility and prevents soil loss. The university of Missouri conducted a test of an average soil loss per acre in various crops. They found that alfalfa compared to many other crops had the least loss of soil per acre. Not only does alfalfa serve as a valuable crop to make a profit but also valuable to conserve the
soil. Quality Alfalfa Alfalfa is tested on four main components. These components include crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), and relative forage quality (RFQ). Crude protein measures the nitrogen content of alfalfa. The protein in alfalfa has a low proportion that is soluble in the rumen which is easily digested. This includes true protein and nonprotein nitrogen. Alfalfa usually contains a level of crude protein that is much higher than in any other forages. Dairy producers look for alfalfa hay that has 22 percent protein. If they find alfalfa that has that high percent of protein they would not have to have any more protein supplements meaning a better profit margin for the dairy. Total digestible nutrients is the sum of the digestible fiber, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components of alfalfa. TDN is directly related to digestible energy and is useful for fed rations. 25 to 30 percent of alfalfa’s dry matter is rapidly digested carbohydrates. 35 to 45 percent of alfalfa’s dry matter is neutral detergent fiber that is rapidly digested by bacteria in the rumen. Even the protein is highly digestible which is calculated into TDN. Having a high percent of TDN is important because the higher the percentage the more digestible and more efficient the alfalfa is. Relative Feed Value is a prediction of feeding value that combines estimated intake and estimated digestibility into a single number. RFV is often used as a benchmark of quality when buying or selling alfalfa hay. This is because it takes into account TDN and crude protein which many buyers look for in quality alfalfa. The last part is Relative Forage Quality that also combines predicted intake and digestibility but RFQ differs from RFV because it is they use different bases to predict alfalfa quality. Studies have shown that it is a more accurate predictor of forage value than RFV but is not proven. RFQ is still a very recent test so buyers still look at RFV as the quality of alfalfa. As there is more demand for quality alfalfa many seed companies have tested different varieties for different situations and climates. The United States alone produced 116 million tons of alfalfa from 2012-2013, the world’s largest producer. While the next closest producer is Argentina that produced 40 million tons of alfalfa from 2012 to 2013. These varieties focus on major factors leading to profitability including yield potential, persistence, winter hardiness, disease resistance, and forage quality. Roundup Ready Alfalfa Glyphosate-resistant alfalfa also known as Roundup Ready Alfalfa was commercially released in 2005. This variety is resistant to Roundup herbicide which is a broad-spectrum herbicide that kills a range of plants. To make alfalfa be resistant to Roundup scientists inserted a bacterial gene that modified an enzyme essential to plant growth. Being able to spray Roundup to alfalfa was a major breakthrough in the agriculture world. Farmers found higher yields because the alfalfa did not have to compete with weeds. In recent years Roundup Ready Alfalfa has been improved in many areas. Now a farmer can spray alfalfa 5 days before harvest or grazing. This is the broadest application timing window that Roundup Alfalfa has ever been. Low Lignin Alfalfa Another big breakthrough in alfalfa genetics that has gotten a lot of attention is a low lignin alfalfa variety. Lignin is in alfalfa cell walls primarily in the stem where it enhances plant structural integrity. The downside of lignin is that it interferes with the rate at which rumen bacteria can get access to energy. Dairyland Laboratories studied percentages of lignin in alfalfa, they found from 2010 to 2012, alfalfa hay averaged 7.6 percent lignin and alfalfa silage averaged 8.4 percent. With low lignin alfalfa tests have shown that there is 20 percent less lignin in the plant. Even with the reduced lignin the alfalfa does not lodge. This improved digestibility will offer a better TDN and RFV for the alfalfa which in turn gives this alfalfa better quality.
Although, this experiment is not concluded outdoors, it is provided with efficient light that promotes growth. It’s provided with soil, seed, fertilizer, water and NaCl solutions, to test how salinity effects plant growth.
A young college student named Todd Graves had a vision that he could open a restaurant and only sell high quality chicken finger meals. He proposed his vision to his college professor as a business plan assignment and got a very low grade on the assignment. Later, he went to many banks offering his business plan and each time he got denied. Todd then went on to work and raise his own money for his dream. This eventually led him to working in Alaska. After Todd got back from Alaska, he returned to Baton Rouge where he opened his dream restaurant. This restaurant is known as Raising Canes.
As you walk to the other end of the stage and look out into the sea of blue and gold corduroy, you realize this it! This is the moment you’ve worked toward for the last four years. You’ve stayed long hours after school working on you record book, spent grueling hours memorizing speeches, experienced the joy of winning first place at a state CDE contest, and best of all you met so many amazing people and doors were opened to opportunities you never imagined. Finally, after all of your hard work, you’re receiving your State FFA Degree! All of this from making one simple decision your freshman year of high school, signing up for the FFA. What you didn’t realize at the time was that this wonderful organization would help you build leadership skills and teach life skills that you are going to need in the coming years.
The lifeblood of a successful society is the ability to feed its families. The greatest civilizations were those who were able to harness the power of agriculture and promote it for the expanding power of their region. From ancient Mesopotamia to Jeffersonian America the government advocates and supporters of agriculture had positively benefitted those civilizations and helped them reach greater heights. Thomas Jefferson’s America was an overall pro-agrarian state; however, it was not until the 1890’s in which the United States began the modern era ideals of government justly assisting the agricultural forces in America. The American farmer during the late 1800’s was one who was struggling severely to make ends meet due to massive overproduction,
I predict that the gunslinger will not live any longer the weed eater is getting more aggravated and depressed. The weed eater a bad person that is always high he smoked so much wee it does not even affect him so he began chewing it. The weed eater is starting to realize that he isn’t that decent of a person and he wants to change. When he first looked at the gunslinger he pulled out his knife and snuck up on him but the gunslinger just said two words “ sit down”. The weed eater is giving up weed because he cannot even be a normal person he wets himself and passes out every night. The weed eater has considered suicide because all he can think about is how much he hates himself. He is started to get the side effects of stopping a addiction
Agriculture is not all work and no play. Many advances can be made in the understanding of agriculture by making available a variety of methods to provide children with a hands-on experience and also educating all individuals about the importance of the practice. The ignorance of urban communities can be overcome with the help of organizations and people within the community. School visits, hands-on experiences, volunteers and organizations are just a few examples of the steps that can be taken to educate Americans about agriculture and close the gap between rural and urban populations.
Anne Rice's novel "Blackwood Farm" delves into the complex themes of identity and immortality, weaving a tale of supernatural intrigue and personal discovery. Set within the rich backdrop of Louisiana, the story follows the journey of Quinn Blackwood as he grapples with his dual nature, confronts his family's dark legacy, and seeks to understand the nature of immortality itself. Through its vivid characters, atmospheric setting, and thought-provoking narrative, "Blackwood Farm" offers readers a compelling exploration of what it means to be human in a world touched by the supernatural. At its core, "Blackwood Farm" is a story about identity and the search for belonging. Quinn Blackwood, the novel's protagonist, is a young man struggling to come to terms with his unique heritage.
Slavery was a big thing back then. Nobody ever knew that it was bad until it really actually happened and once they found out about they were scared to death. Today I am going to be talking about slavery and tell you some research I have found out about him working at the cotton plantation. Did you know that in the 1860 there was over 60% of slaves that worked at the cotton plantation? If you think that's not a lot, then you're wrong because in 1860 there was over 4 million slaves and about 60% of them were working at the same place.
Alfalfa is a weed like plant used to help with many unfatal medical conditions such as, cholesterol reduction. It has other uses as well, for example, some people feed it to their livestock. Alfalfa was originally genetically modified by Monsanto and Forage Genetics, a alfalfa seed company owned by Land O’ Lakes, to become herbicide roundup resistant. A genetically modified organism, abbreviated by GMO, is a huge controversial topic. To get a genetically modified organism you take a gene of one organism and put it in a totally different organism. For example to get Roundup Ready alfalfa (Medicago sativa) we took a gene from a bacteria Agrobacterium that was resistant to glyphosate (used for weed control). There are many advantages, disadvantages,
Today, the fashion industry is pumping out thousands of fur coats for prospective buyers. The attempt of masking the true price of retrieving that fur by glamorizing coats is beyond most buyer’s attention. Some people know that animals go through pain when their fur is taken for the purpose of fashion, but most people do not understand the extent of the mutilation they go through. To be sure the fur is fresh and neat, certain animals are sometimes skinned alive. Fur farming is not only inhumane, but it also has a negative effect on nature. Fur farming is bad for the environment, brutal to animals and the animals are also inhumanely killed. According to psychological theory, the humanistic view claims that every person has good in them. However, this act of murdering innocence seems to prove otherwise.
Replacing cutter: how difficult is it to replace the blades or the line s in the weed eater?
This report is on wheat market showing the impacts of various microeconomics indicators on consumers, business and economy in India. India is the country where nearly 65% of population depends on agriculture for their nourishment. Wheat is one of the dominant nutritious cereal crop cultivated over there. After the Independence of India in 1947 the production and yield at that time was very low, only 6.46 million tons, which was really not sufficient for the people. At that time India used to import large number of wheat from USA. In 1961 the scientists put forward five varieties of wheat, Lerma Rojo 64-A, Sonora 63, Sonora 64, Mayo 64 and S 227. After that there were further researches and development being made in wheat production and now, at present, India ranks second in the world for the production and consumption of wheat. The main wheat producing states are Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. After the independence in 1947, the yield was only 6.46 million tons and it keep on increasing during the upcoming years. There has been a continuous increase in the production of wheat during the past few year as can be seen in (chart 1). The overall thirty five percent of production is in Uttar Pradesh which ranked number one while the production in other states is also competitive. The price of wheat is fixed of every year for which it is purchased from the farmer (chart 2). Some of the wheat types are C-306, UP-262, HD-2009, WL-711, HP-1102, HUW-206, HUW-234, HD- 2189, HD-2204, HD-2285, VL-616, VL-421, HS--42, WH-147, WH-157, WH- 542, HD- 2329, UP-2003, UP-2338, LOK-1, RAJ-1555, RAJ- 3765, RAJ- 3077, UP- 2425, PBW-154, PBW- 343, PBW- 443, PBW- 373, HI- 8381, HI-8498, HD-2687, KRL-19, HUW- 468, GW-273, etc.
For livestock feed, Lanza et al. (2003) noted that replacing soybean meal with peas did not significantly affect the growth and meat quality of lambs. According to Brenes et al. (1989) and Gatel and Grosjean (1990) pea seeds are used for non-ruminants animals (i.e. pigs, poultry) feeding in Europe. Field peas are also grown as forage crop for hay. Intercropping field peas with cereals for forage has become more common in recent years. Lithourgidis et al. (2011) observed that pea-triticale and pa-wheat mixtures produced better forage quality (high crude protein yield) than the other
Soil is the most important non-renewable resource on any farm. Healthy soil is key to a good
Tropical and subtropical countries have climatic conditions which are unfavourable for the production of wheat. These countries are therefore heavily dependent on wheat imports to provide staple food products for their populations (FAO; Byerlee, 1987 1-2). In 1960 the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) began a Composite Flour Programme aimed at empowering developing nations with the technology to improve their country’s food security. Composite flour is a mixture of flours from cereals and root tubers. Flour from ground legumes such as soya bean may also be added to increase the protein content of the composite flour. Wheat is often the cereal incorporated in the mixture but cereals such as maize, rice, buckwheat and millet can also be utilized (Popper, 2006).