It's always been on the list, though mostly whispered or in fine print, sometimes even in footnotes at the end of the chapter. No-till alfalfa's merger into the mainstream is a relatively new development, in this part of the world at least. In Kentucky, so much of our land is rolling, and when you till it, one little wash in bare ground quickly turns into a ditch. So they came up with this idea of no-tilling. Sow your cover crop in the fall to help keep the weeds down, spray in late February or early March, then interseed your alfalfa.
Most people burn that wheat down in the spring, after they no-till alfalfa.
The first year, we put about 90 pounds of wheat seed down in the fall and rather than having to burn it down, we took a cutting of hay off the wheat. It really worked out well. As the wheat came off, the alfalfa was up to the stage where it could get some sunlight and start putting on leaves and growing. We had a real good alfalfa crop that first year. Hughes won an award for the quality of his hay last July.