Inoculated legumes such as alfalfa and sweet clover provide the soil with additional nitrogen. Your long-term crop rotations should include forages to take advantage of these numerous benefits. Marginal lands are often best suited to growing forage crops on a permanent basis. Although forage establishment may be difficult and more costly to the producer in the short term, the long-term economics are generally quite favourable on these lands. The Permanent Cover Programs of the past have provided producers with financial assistance to offset the higher costs of forage establishment.
Certified seed is recommended.
Simply stated, you will get what you pay for. All forage species have unique growth and production characteristics, environmental tolerances, and wildlife benefits. Inoculate legumes with the correct rhizobium. Use a sticking agent and inoculate just prior to seeding. When seeding early, young forage seedlings are better able to outcompete weeds, withstand grasshopper infestations, and cope with poor weather conditions.