Grazing Alfalfa Successfully Home Grazing Menu Grazing Alfalfa Successfully Sustainable Farming Connection Where farmers find and share information. Grazing Alfalfa Successfully Carefully balance the needs of the stock and the needs of the stand. Grazing alfalfa requires top-notch management to ensure optimal stand persistence and animal performance . As with any high-value crop, greater economic return is generally achieved with a higher level of management. With the development of alfalfa cultivars selected specifically for grazing tolerance, some of the management emphasis on stand persistence is diminished, but persistence must remain a prime concern.
Several factors affect stand persistence in grazed alfalfa.
While some of these factors are similar to mechanically harvested fields, others are unique to grazing. Season of use. Appropriate grazing management. Proper soil site selection. As with alfalfa hay production, selecting well-drained, naturally fertile fields will produce the best alfalfa grazing opportunities.