Description
Get our level 5 dormancy alfalfa for $3.54 per pound!
Best for places with a long growing season!
Our #1 Dormancy 5 Alfalfa that has high drought tolerance!
High yield, with great stand persistence, and strong disease resistance.
Our Tug-of-War™ Explode 5 Alfalfa is a fine-stem, deep tap root, multi-leaf, legume that has been designed to give you a maximum stand life of up to 10 years of production. With relative feed values as high as 220, and up to 14 tons on irrigated ground, our alfalfa is a great choice for hay and silage in livestock operations.
Planting Depth: .25”-.5”
Planting Rates: 30 lbs per acre irrigated, 20 lbs per acre non-irrigated, and 20 in mixes
Planting Dates: Mar-May, Aug-Sep
*Product ships in 50 pound bag
**Our Tug-of-War™ Alfalfa is non-gmo and comes Pre-Inoculated (PI) to aid in stimulation of N nodes. PI is OMRI approved and documentation can be requested if needed.
Establishment
Tug-of-War™ Explode 5 Alfalfa should be planted in a smooth, firm, weed free seedbed. Adequate moisture should be available for germination and emergence and the soil should have good surface drainage. Tug-of-War™ Explode 5 Alfalfa can be planted in the spring or late summer. We usually recommend seeding grass with alfalfa to give a higher tonnage and better quality feed for the life of the stand. Alfalfa exhibits autotoxicity, which means established plants (older than 6 months) give off compounds that prevent new alfalfa seedlings from establishing.
Adaptation
Tug-of-War™ Alfalfa grows best on deep, well-drained, friable soils. Lands subject to frequent overflows or high water tables are unfavorable to alfalfa. The pH of the soil should be 6.5 or above.
Management
Our Tug-of-War™ Alfalfa is our most drought tolerant alfalfa which excels in areas of high heat and low annual precipitation. Explode 5 is best suited for southern areas of the US where growing seasons are relatively long. While great for the Southern US, this may also be planted in areas where drought persists for a period of time not conducive to standard alfalfas. Once established, a Tug-of-War™ Explode 5 Alfalfa stand can last for many years. Many Tug-of-War™ varieties can handle 30 day cutting schedules. One very critical aspect of alfalfa management is knowing when to take the last cutting in the fall. The last cutting of Tug-of-War™ Explode 5 Alfalfa should take place 3-4 weeks before the 1st average killing frost date.
Description
Medicago sativa L. alfalfa, is a long-lived perennial legume. Flowers vary in color from purple to yellow and are borne in loose clusters. Pods of alfalfa range from the sickle type to those that are twisted into spirals. Each pod contains several small kidney-shaped seeds. Alfalfa stems are erect and grow from a woody crown to about 2 to 3 feet tall. New growth occurs from buds in the crown. The plant has a tap root which may penetrate 25 feet deep into the soil. Compound leaves are alternately arranged on the stem and are normally trifoliate although there are commercial varieties that have multifoliate leaves. There are approximately 227,000 seeds/pound.