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Upper Midwest alfalfa crop in good shape

An agronomist says the alfalfa crop in the Upper Midwest made it through winter pretty well.

Ross Bender covers Wisconsin and Minnesota for the Mosaic Company.

“There’s still a couple weeks left of what I’m going to call winter, where there’s concern of frost, heaving and thawing.  That could wreak some havoc on our crops.  But so far, we believe the alfalfa crop has made it through the winter ok and everything looks to be on target for a good spring.”

He tells Brownfield alfalfa growers are managing acres more intensely as market conditions remain tight.

“It’s actually really tough (and) complicated.  Producers, retailers, consultants are becoming more progressive.  Especially in the heart of some good dairy areas.”

Bender recommends an online resource called the Alfalfa Management Guide to help growers make agronomic decisions throughout the growing season.