Opening chapters include key considerations for getting started — site selection, an overview of growth and development, stand establishment, and variety selection. Production considerations covered include fertilization strategies, irrigation, pest management, harvest strategies, management of depleted stands, as well as harvest, curing, and preservation considerations.
Additional chapters include information on alfalfa and livestock, including forage quality, grazing management, and application of lagoon water and manures, and. Also discussed are organic production, seed production, and industrial uses of the crop.
A diagnostic key to common problems, an index, 298 color photographs, 34 illustrations, 65 tables, and 72 graphs round out this essential guide.
Irrigated Alfalfa Management for Mediterranean and desert Zones is a companion publication to Intermountain Alfalfa Management, focused on the high-elevation valleys of the Intermountain West.