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Impact of freezing temps on alfalfa
University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson says he does not expect this week’s freezing temperatures to have a major impact on the first cutting of alfalfa across the Midwest.
“It’s either going to result in some people taking harvest a bit early or there may be a few situations where the growth has been totally sacrificed,” Anderson says. “But over the long term of a full growing season, I would anticipate that this freeze event is going to have relatively minor influence on the total production.”
If the crop was damaged by frost, Anderson says, one option would be to harvest it early. But he advises growers to wait a few days before making a decision, “because oftentimes what looks like a real bad situation to begin with turns out to be relatively unimportant.”
Anderson says he doesn’t anticipate much of an increase in total alfalfa acreage in 2014, although lower corn and soybean prices may prompt some growers to shift some of their acres back into alfalfa.
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