The
number of dairy cattle has more than doubled in eastern New
Mexico since 2000, when Curry and Roosevelt counties were home
to 65,000 milk cows. That number now has reached 131,000, which
means a lot more mouths to feed.
To meet the demand, more area farmers
are turning to a tried and true Southwestern crop: alfalfa.
Alfalfa acreage continues to increase in Curry and Roosevelt
counties, as well as the Texas counties west of I-27, despite
declining water available for irrigation in the region.
"This increase is directly related to an
increase in the number of dairies in the region," said Leonard
Lauriault, forage agronomist at
New Mexico State University's Agricultural Science Center at
Tucumcari. "Although alfalfa may not produce as much tonnage per
acre with the same amount of water as some other forages, like
corn and sorghum, it does produce the greatest forage value in
regard to yield and quality for dairy cattle."
Alfalfa has many other attributes making
it a desirable crop in this geographic area, Lauriault said. As
a long-lived perennial, remaining productive for seven or more
years with good management, alfalfa doesn't require tillage and
replanting every year. This frees the producer's time for other
activities in addition to protecting the soil from wind and
water erosion.
Alfalfa is efficient at harvesting soil
moisture and nutrients because it's very deeply rooted,
Lauriault said. Because of its deep root system, alfalfa
tolerates drought well, he said, and it also uses dormancy to
avoid severe moisture stress.
"Alfalfa can recover after long-term
irrigation termination, maintaining ground cover and protecting
the soil if irrigation water is needed for other crops,"
Lauriault said. Information about drought management of alfalfa
is available from any NMSU county Cooperative Extension Service
Office or online at
.
"With all its attributes, there are
still some considerations for producers interested in planting
alfalfa," Lauriault said. "Most importantly, spring is not the
best time to plant because it leads to reduced first-year
yields, increased likelihood of wind erosion during land
preparation, increased weed pressure affecting stand
establishment that requires costly control, and higher
irrigation requirements for establishment and first summer
survival."
Planting in mid-August to late
September, depending on location, overcomes many problems and
gives prospective alfalfa growers the opportunity now to begin
with the most critical step in establishing alfalfa - variety
selection. The 2006 New Mexico Alfalfa Variety Test Report,
available through county Extension Service Offices or online (
),
provides alfalfa variety selection guidelines regarding fall
dormancy category, pests and yield.
Producers should make variety selections
and order seed now to assure its availability at planting time,
Lauriault said. Those who decide to purchase cheaper, untreated
seed should look at the germination and hard (or dormant) seed
percentages. Alfalfa seed should have a germination of 85
percent or better, with very little dormant seed. There is no
demonstrated advantage to planting dormant seed, Lauriault said.
For questions about alfalfa
establishment or management, call any county Cooperative
Extension Service Office. Lauriault can be reached at (505)
461-1620, lmlaur@nmsu.edu.
