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Protect alfalfa from early season diseases

Farmers are encouraged to protect alfalfa from early season diseases.

Curtis Rainbolt with BASF says the perennial faces several challenges throughout the year.

“Depending on where you’re at, we’re starting to come out of dormancy and that alfalfa is starting to grow a little bit. So if we’re having rainy, humid conditions, now is really an ideal time if your alfalfa is four to six inches high to protect it with a fungicide spray.”

He tells Brownfield disease doesn’t typically appear until harvest and healthier alfalfa is more susceptible.

“It’s a function of if you have a really thick, dense stand, you just have less air movement down there in that lower foot of the canopy.”

Rainbolt says where there’s less air movement and more moisture trapped, diseases like common leaf spot are prevalent.