Acre Feet Of Water Needed To Grow Alfalfa

Kearney alfalfa and forage field day september 18 2015 parlier ca how much water does alfalfa need.

Acre feet of water needed to grow alfalfa. 7 alfalfa water requirements. On the average irrigated alfalfa will use approximately 4 to 5 inches of water for every ton of hay produced. Cooperative extension specialist in agricultural water management university of california davis dzaccaria ucdavis edu. 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.

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. 4 alfalfa soil requirements variety selection weed management. 3 how to grow alfalfa. 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.

6 alfalfa fertilizer requirements. 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. 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. Hay harvested at 12 moisture removes 240 lbs water ton hay or 1 800.

Seasonal alfalfa water applications generally. 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. 5 sowing and seeding rate of alfalfa.

2 alfalfa plant information. Anyone who has grown alfalfa even a few years knows it needs a lot of water to produce high tonnage. Alfalfa is a. How much water is required to grow one acre of alfalfa.

9 alfalfa crop rotation. Not much water is exported with alfalfa hay. Potential irrigated alfalfa hay yield at elevations near 4000 feet is about 7 5 tons acre. Seasonal alfalfa water applications generally range from 4 000 000 to 5 500 000 acre feet.

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