Acre Feet Of Water Needed To Grow Alfalfa

How much water is required to grow one acre of alfalfa.

Acre feet of water needed to grow alfalfa.

Alfalfa is a. Not much water is exported with alfalfa hay. 4 alfalfa soil requirements variety selection weed management. 8 alfalfa harvest yield per acre.

7 alfalfa water requirements. 5 sowing and seeding rate of alfalfa. 2 alfalfa plant information. 9 alfalfa crop rotation.

A well fertilized healthy alfalfa crop may use as much as 8 inches of water from the soil in addition to 4 to 6 inches of water supplied by irrigation and rainfall before the first cutting. Requirements for alfalfa are 20 to 46 inches of water per season depending on climate elevation growing season number of cuttings latitude and fall dormancy rating of the alfalfa variety. 6 alfalfa fertilizer requirements. Anyone who has grown alfalfa even a few years knows it needs a lot of water to produce high tonnage.

In fact on the average alfalfa needs about 6 of water in the soil available to the roots for each ton of dry matter produced. Seasonal alfalfa water applications generally range from 4 000 000 to 5 500 000 acre feet. Potential irrigated alfalfa hay yield at elevations near 4000 feet is about 7 5 tons acre. 2012 12 03 23 41 50 2012 12 03 23 41 50.

3 how to grow alfalfa. Kearney alfalfa and forage field day september 18 2015 parlier ca how much water does alfalfa need. Alfalfa is california s single la rgest agricultural water user due to the amount grown typically about 1 million acres and its long growing season. 1 alfalfa uses general info.

A north dakota study shows that irrigators can expect alfalfa increases of 1 6 to 1 5 ton per acre per year for each inch of water applied until irrigation and precipitation water total 24. Seasonal alfalfa water applications generally. How long does alfalfa grow. Cooperative extension specialist in agricultural water management university of california davis dzaccaria ucdavis edu.

Over the entire alfalfa growing season from dormancy break in february or march to the first frost in mid october however et totals 45 to 50 inches and should produce 8 tons of dry hay or more per acre.