Plan to spray dimethoate on direct seeding alfalfa fields most years. Verify requirements by scouting fields starting the beginning of July to determine the level of insect activity. The majority of new forage seeding in Ontario is seeded under a companion grain crop. Many forage seedings never reach their productive potential because the cereal cover crop is left to be harvested for grain and straw. Cereal lodging, competition for light and moisture and the growth of volunteer cereal after combining take their toll on forage establishment.
Many top forage growers direct seed without a cover crop.
If this seeding system is understood and managed for 2 cuts in the seeding year, it has the most potential of all seeding methods to get a forage stand established. More cover crops have been harvested as silage recently due to farm forage demands and the recognized improvement in forage establishment versus combining the grain. Both methods result in consistent forage establishment in my experience. Once the field is seeded, the production base is set for a stand that yields the quality and quantity appropriate for your livestock needs. Forages respond to rotation as much as any other crop.