Alfalfa & Forage News

JUST HOW DRY IS IT? It really doesn't look good out there for many western alfalfa growers. Most parts of the West are currently under 'severe, extreme, or exceptional' drought. One would think that NOAA and USDA would run out of superlatives! (how about 'excruciating'?). Figure 1.

Vetch (Vicia spp.) is growing like a weed everywhere this year, carpeting our hills with great swaths of purple flowers (see photo). What is Vetch? There are several species that are commonly grown as crops, cover crops or weeds (see below table).

During the 2021 season, we conducted an insecticide trial evaluating a new insecticide being developed for a range of crops. It could be a very good fit for alfalfa weevil given the efficacy we saw as well as the critical need for novel modes of action for alfalfa weevil management.

DIAGNOSING A FIELD PROBLEM Can applications of Calcium (Ca) fertilizers improve plant nutrient uptake or improve soil properties in alfalfa fields? These questions were presented to us by an alfalfa grower in the Sacramento Valley of California where low soil Ca levels were observed.

A new caterpillar pest was found infesting alfalfa fields in Imperial County. It was first observed in mid-September when pest control advisers brought it to our attention (Apurba Barman and Jon Palumbo). This pest has not been previously observed in low desert.