|
Author(s): |
Dan Undersander, Marvin H. Hall, Paul Vassalotti, Dennis Cosgrove |
This full-color booklet presents, in word and picture, the story of how an alfalfa plant develops from the moment the seed swells and the radicle bursts forth to anchor in the soil, till the plant flowers—and it simultaneously describes how to make alfalfa thrive by careful management techniques.
Understanding the details of how alfalfa plants grow will help farmers grow better alfalfa. Knowing how the alfalfa germinates will help them create conditions necessary for good stand establishment. Knowing how seedlings develop will be useful in determining when to control diseases, insects, and weeds. Understanding patterns of growth—spring green-up and growth after cutting—will aid in identifying winter injury and disease problems, and in managing weeds. And being familiar with the mature stages of alfalfa growth will be helpful when making decisions about when to cut to ensure the maximum yield of the forage quality required.
Considerably revised from earlier editions, Alfalfa Germination and Growth presents a thorough description of how alfalfa is best managed (18 pages, August 2011).