Soil pH. Alfalfa is sensitive to acidic and low-soil pH, so Goplen suggested correcting it a few years prior to establishment. Eastern Minnesota is more acidic, so adding lime would help get pH to that 6.5-to-7 range. Some of western Minnesota’s soils are already in the pH range of 7.5 to 8 pH, and are not in need of amending.

Soil fertility. Removing 6 to 8 tons of dry matter per acre from alfalfa fields annually removes a lot of nutrients. Each ton of alfalfa contains more than 50 pounds of potash and around 14 pounds of phosphorus, Goplen said. “Skimping on fertility can also influence the longevity of the crop, since these nutrients are important for winter survival, especially potassium,” he added. “Following university recommendations can help ensure you are providing enough fertility.” There is a balance, however. Overfertilizing can be problematic, as excessive potassium in the forage can cause milk fever.

Variety selection. With more seed companies doing their own in-house trial research, the university no longer receives submissions to conduct independent variety trials, Goplen said. He noted the importance of selecting alfalfa varieties with a good disease resistance package, winter survival, stand persistence and root structure. He acknowledged that alfalfa seed is expensive, yet it is a long-term investment that will influence production for three to four years. “Even seemingly small improvements in yield can easily cover the additional cost of seed — at least to a point,” he said. For example, if hay is $240 per ton, 0.1 ton is worth $24, which covers an additional $2-per-pound seed cost, assuming a seeding rate of 12 pounds per acre. “The key is finding a well-adapted variety that has the disease resistance package and winter survival rating that will ensure maximum production throughout the life of the stand — without costing too much,” Goplen said. Be mindful that other seed factors, such as herbicide tolerance, certain disease packages and forage quality traits can add to the seed cost but may not be needed for your situation.

Seeding rate. Many universities recommend around 12 to 15 pounds of seed per acre. Pay attention to the pure live-seeding rate, Goplen said. Much of the seed now has clay coatings, and that adds to seed weight and volume. For example, a 50-pound bag with 30% coating may only have 35 pounds of seed. Plus, some of that may not be viable or is hard seed. “Looking at the seed tag is important, so you can calculate how much total seed is needed, accounting for the seed coatings and nonviable seed,” he said. In this example, 12 pounds of pure live seed per acre may need more than 20 pounds of seed per acre seeded to account for the seed coating and nonviable seed.

 Firm soil for planting. Direct-seed into a firm seedbed with a drill or Brillion seeder, not more than 3/8 of an inch deep. If soil is too fluffy, consider rolling or packing it.

 Previous chemical use. Be mindful of herbicide carryover when starting a new field of alfalfa. “This is a big concern going into this year, especially since we had drought [last year],” he said. “Chemicals haven’t broken down yet.”

Scout for insects and disease. If you don’t want to scout for potato leafhopper, alfalfa weevil or diseases, then hire someone to scout for you.

Cutting height. Cutting alfalfa at 2.5 to 3 inches will lower alfalfa quality but will maximize milk yield per acre. At fall harvest, leave a 4-inch stubble to capture snow. That will help stand persistence.

Swath cut. Cut alfalfa in a wide swath, around 70% of cut. So if you have a 12-foot mower, you’ll leave a 8.5-foot windrow, Goplen said. This helps hay dry faster and maintain higher quality. At cutting, alfalfa is about 80% moisture. It continues to burn energy until roughly 60% moisture — around five hours, based on Wisconsin research. “You’ll drive on it, but don’t worry about that,” he added.

Raking alfalfa. You want to merge the cut crop, minimizing dirt and leaf loss as you go. A rotary rake or sidebar rake is better at the job; the wheel rake, the worst, Goplen said. If you do use this style, double-check adjustments and replace pickup fingers: They shouldn’t scratch the soil. And when raking, match the ground speed with PTO speed. Don’t “comb through” the windrow, since that knocks off leaves.

Bales and storage. Don’t let your hard work rot away. Make dense bales, especially if you are storing bales outside. Better yet, use net wrap. It sheds water, reducing dry matter loss by 30%. Set bales in north-south rows on a well-drained pad. Ideally, though, store bales inside, so you don’t lose 30% to 50% of your crop to the weather. Or, another option is storing alfalfa as baleage.

Stand age. Be proactive and have a plan for crop rotation. If you’ve got three to four years out of an alfalfa stand, that’s a good, productive life. Is yield holding or falling off? Fewer than 40 stems per square foot in pure alfalfa stands means it's probably more economical to terminate the stand and plant corn or another crop, he said. “High-quality alfalfa is extremely valuable, and the details of production are important to maximizing yield and profitability of the stands,” Goplen said. “This includes paying attention to soil pH and fertility, scouting for insect and disease pests, making sure harvest equipment is functioning properly, and that the forage is stored in a way to minimize storage losses.”