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Alfalfa Mixtures
Adding alfalfa to a grass seed mixture usually increases forage production and forage quality. When seeding grass-alfalfa mixtures, try to obtain final stands containing about 60 to 70% grass and 30 to 40% alfalfa for pasture. Pure dense stands of alfalfa rotated to new fields every three to five years will provide a greater hay yield than grass-alfalfa mixtures, especially where adequate precipitation is available for two or three harvests. If a grass-alfalfa mixture is used for hay, highest yields will be obtained when the initial stand contains 50% or more alfalfa. Bloat may be a problem when grazing grass-alfalfa mixtures, especially alfalfa regrowth, so careful livestock management is required. Bloat preventives containing poloxalene, if consumed according to recommendations, eliminate bloat in cattle grazing alfalfa. Alfalfa varieties that possess the creeping-rooted characteristic and those selected under grazing pressure are suggested for grass-legume mixtures to be used for pastures.
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