Cutting schedules and stands

Alfalfa cutting management research and recommendations have changed dramatically since the early 1900s. Cutting schedules have been based on stage of growth, fixed time intervals, or crown shoot development. The effect of a particular harvest system on seasonal alfalfa forage yield, forage quality, and stand persistence is related to the morphological development of the crop at each harvest within the system. Many western producers harvesting 6 to 10 times per season use a fixed time interval to schedule cutting during warmer months and rely on crop development to schedule cuttings during cooler months. A harvest schedule based on plant maturity depends on the stage of plant development to indicate the proper time to cut and the number of cuttings possible in a season. Yields of herbage decrease as cutting frequency or stubble height increase. Decline in alfalfa stand density has little direct effect on total forage quality.