What are the different varieties of alfalfa?

What are the different varieties of alfalfa?

Alfalfa Varieties

• AmeriStand 201T. 2-3 cuttings recommended.
• AmeriStand 435TQ RR. 3-4 cuttings recommended.
• AmeriStand 318TQ. 3-4 cuttings recommended.
• AmeriStand 419LH Brand. 3-4 cuttings Recommended.
• AmeriStand 420LH RR Brand. 3-4 cuttings recommended.
• AmeriStand 480 HVXRR.
• AmeriStand 481 HVXRR.
• AmeriStand 445NT.

What type of seed is alfalfa?

Alfalfa (/ælˈfælfə/) (Medicago sativa), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop.

How many alfalfa seeds are there?

There are about 199,000 alfalfa seeds per pound. If that one pound was evenly spread over one acre (43,560 ft.

What color is alfalfa seed?

Common alfalfa has purple flowers and spiral- shaped seed pods, and yellow-flowered alfalfa has sickle-shaped seed pods. Alfalfa evolved in the Middle East and central and northern Asia regions with cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Does alfalfa make you gain weight?

Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.

How much does alfalfa seed cost?

Alfalfa seed prices range from $1 to $3 per pound. With a 25-pound seeding rate, that spread represents a significant up front cost. “Most growers spend about a minute to choose an alfalfa variety and do it on price,” said Putnam.

What is the seed rate for alfalfa?

Seeding rate. For pure alfalfa stands, 18 to 20 pounds per acre should be planted. For mixed stands with grass, 15 to 16 pounds per acre is recommended. For broadcast seeding, seeding rates need to be increased by 10 to 20 percent.

How long does it take for alfalfa seed to germinate?

Alfalfa seed germinates best at soil temperatures between 65-85°F. If soil temperature is 40°F, it takes alfalfa six days to germinate, but only two days at 65°F.

What part of alfalfa do we use?

Alfalfa is an herb. People use the leaves, sprouts, and seeds to make medicine.

Does alfalfa make your hair grow?

Scalp Health Lastly, alfalfa is a good source of protein, which is the primary component that makes up human hair. Protein also encourages new hair growth and scalp health.

What are the side effects of alfalfa?

Alfalfa sprouts are considered safe and nutritious but may cause side effects in some people. Due to its high fiber content, consuming raw alfalfa can cause gas, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea.

Can a person eat alfalfa?

Alfalfa is typically consumed by humans as an herbal supplement or in the form of alfalfa sprouts. Because the leaves or seeds are sold as herbal supplements and not foods, there is no standard nutrition information available. Alfalfa sprouts contain the same nutrients and are also very low in calories.

How deep do you seed alfalfa?

One quarter to 3/8 inch seeding depth is ideal for most soil types; emergence drops off significantly when alfalfa is seeded over an inch deep. Too-fine seedbeds may result in sealing or crusting on some soils.

What is the best time to plant alfalfa?

If you have land available for alfalfa in late summer, optimal seeding dates are July 15 through August in the Upper Midwest; closer to July 15 for northernmost regions. For growers in warmer climates, seeding into early September is acceptable.

What does alfalfa do for the human body?

Alfalfa is a fiber-rich food and may help to control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of glucose into the intestines. As a result, it may help to control diabetes and prediabetes. Plant compounds called saponins lower the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines.

How do you eat alfalfa?

Another way to add alfalfa to your diet is by eating it as sprouts. Alfalfa sprouts can be added to your diet in many ways, such as in a sandwich or mixed into a salad. You can buy these at health food stores or sprout them at home.

Why are alfalfa sprouts dangerous?

Like any fresh produce that is consumed raw or lightly cooked, sprouts can carry a risk of foodborne illness if they are contaminated. Unlike other fresh produce, the warm, moist conditions required to grow sprouts are ideal for the rapid growth of bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, and E. coli.

Although alfalfa is frequently used to feed horses and rabbits, it’s good for people, too. Besides consuming it as a supplement, humans eat alfalfa in the form of sprouted seeds, found in the produce section of most grocery stores.

Can I eat alfalfa raw?

The FDA says people most at risk from foodborne illness — children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system — should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind, including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean sprouts.

When to choose a variety for alfalfa seed?

When you’re choosing a variety for a perennial crop that will be in your field for four years or longer, like alfalfa, the right variety selection is much more important than for annual crops, like corn, where if a variety performs poorly one year, you can choose a different variety the next spring.

What kind of flowers do alfalfa plants have?

Stems are round lower down, more or less angular towards the top, and usually smooth. The flowers resemble the clover in appearance. Flowers: The flowers are in a short and somewhat one-sided cluster. Each cluster contains from ten to twenty purple flowers of the ordinary leguminous shape.

What’s the best thing to do with alfalfa?

The seed is commonly used as a sprouted seed which is added to salads, used in sandwiches, added to soups or eaten as is. Alfalfa seeds can also be ground into a powder and mixed with cereal flours for making nutritionally improved breads and other baked goods.

Where can I buy alfalfa seed in California?

The DREC is the southern-most location for UC-sponsored alfalfa variety trials underway across California. The other locations include UC Davis and Kearney in the Central Valley, and at Tulelake and the Scott Valley in the intermountain region. “Seed price is important at some level,” Putnam said.

Are there different varieties of alfalfa to grow?

With strong agronomics to support the stand, our varieties offer a higher-quality hay at every cutting. Alfalfa is no longer a one-size-fits-all crop.

How many pounds of alfalfa seed per acre?

Typically for alfalfa hay production, growers are planting anywhere from 20 to 25 pounds of seed per acre, and in seed production you would plant 1 to 2 pounds of seed per acre.

What’s the difference between alfalfa seed and forage?

Arias says one difference is alfalfa forage production will require as much as a three-acre foot of water, and alfalfa seed production requires about half the amount or less. Plant density is the other difference.

What kind of seeder do you use for alfalfa?

When seeding alfalfa with a grass such as tall fescue or orchardgrass, drill the grass in rows and immediately overseed the alfalfa with a cultipacker-seeder.