Alfalfa is the world's oldest forage crop. It’s grown throughout the world, as a food, cover, and forage crop to feed livestock.
A rough start for alfalfa in the U.S.
In the 1700s, the first attempts to grow alfalfa in the United States failed miserably. Although the crop grows in a wide range of conditions, it does best in deep, loamy, well-drained soil. Advances in irrigation and fertilization have made it possible to grow good crops in a greater variety of settings.
Today, the United States is the largest single producer of alfalfa in the world with 16M acres devoted to growing the crop.1 Most of those acres can be found in the upper Midwest and mountain states of the country—known, not surprisingly, for their loamy, well-drained soil.
The current alfalfa landscape
American alfalfa is primarily grown as a forage crop to feed cattle for the dairy and beef industries. Since the 1980s, alfalfa production has been on the decline.2 Experts cite a number of reasons for this downward trend, including:
- Increased mid-protein by-products available for feeding
- Dairy industry consolidation and industrialization
- Drought and water resource competition
- Increased yield for competing crops1
- Length of stand establishment for new farmers
With all of these challenges, growers must continue to push their fields for higher yield to stay profitable. Unfortunately, not all farmers are using all of the tools available to them. Top yields in the northern United States have approached 10 tons per acre while average yields are still around 3 tons per acre.
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Boron fertilization can help increase yields
There are a number of ways adding a boron fertilizer to your program can help increase your alfalfa yield.
Drought resistance
Most of the recent droughts have coincided with alfalfa producing regions. We all know that fertilizers can’t stop a drought, but studies have shown that boron can help alleviate drought-induced stress on alfalfa by improving total nutrient uptake in the plant.
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Leaf retention and growth
Beyond being integral to many of the plant's metabolic processes, boron improves leaf retention and growth in alfalfa plants. In fact, boron deficiency can be fatal to developing alfalfa plants, and inhibits production in plants grown for seed.
Yield research
A Texas A&M University study confirms the significance of boron fertilization. Results from this study show the importance of maintaining an adequate level of boron in acid, sandy soils that have been limed for alfalfa production. The research indicates that alfalfa yields rise rapidly as the soil boron level increases.
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Our own field trials have supported the fact that a small amount of U.S. Borax
Fertibor® can increase yields in crops.
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Spotting boron deficiency in alfalfa
Alfalfa’s main boron deficiency symptom is yellowing and reddening of the upper leaves. As the deficiency develops, the top stems progressively shorten and the short side branches give the plant a “rosetted” appearance. At this stage, the growing point becomes dormant or dies. Because boron deficiency is often confused with leafhopper damage, growers should make sure they are regularly testing their soil and leaves.
Read our alfalfa crop guide to learn more
Borate fertilizer recommendations
Fertilizer management for alfalfa, including micronutrients, is completely dependent on the make up of your soil. For this reason, our agronomists recommend testing your soil before, during, and after the growing season.
Alfalfa plants remove relatively large amounts of boron from the soil each year. But the good news is that they are also tolerant of added boron. And, it is usually the only micronutrient needed in an alfalfa fertilizer program for alfalfa.
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They require a relatively small amounts of borates so growers find it easiest to blend with other fertilizers. We have developed a granulated fertilizer,
Granubor®, that is specifically designed to blend with your NPK program.
Depending on your soil and specific program, we can recommend the best boron product for your needs. Contact us today.
References
- Newell R. Feb 24, 2023. Alfalfa & Forage Dynamics in the Current Agricultural Landscape. Presented at the Agricultural Outlook Forum. https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023aof-Newell.pdf
- Zulauf C. Sept 19, 2018. U.S. Hay Market over the Last 100 Years. farmdocDAILY. Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (8):174. https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2018/09/us-hay-market-over-the-last-100-years.html
- Undersander D, et al. 2011. Alfalfa Management Guide. Madison(WI): American Society of Agronomy, Inc.; Crop Science Society of America, Inc.; Soil Science Society of America, Inc. https://www.agronomy.org/files/publications/alfalfa-management-guide.pdf
- Sapkota A, et al. Nov-Dec 2019. Applied Boron Increases Alfalfa Petiole Boron Concentration across Water Regimes, Not Yield. Agronomy Journal. 111(6):3220-3229. https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2134/agronj2019.02.0085
- Haby VA, Leonard AT, Davis JV, Clary GM. 1998. Effect of Boron Fertilization and pH on Yield of Alfalfa. Forage-Livestock Field Day Report, April 16, 1998. Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. https://overton.tamu.edu/files/2022/03/article235.pdf
- U.S. Borax. 1971. Field study: Alfalfa (Virginia USA). https://agriculture.borax.com/resources/field-studies/fodder-crops/alfalfa-virginia-united-states
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