A Guide to Fertilizing Alfalfa

After reading this paper you will have a more complete understanding of alfalfa nutrition. This paper is a summary of several sources of university publications and books that will give the reader the necessary information on fertilization and general practices of raising alfalfa. In general most growers will use potassium and a little phosphorous now and then on alfalfa, when in reality alfalfa is like any other living thing that requires different nutrients in different ratios depending on the soil type, native material, and other amendments that may be distributed around them.

Optimum alfalfa growth and quality requires optimum fertility conditions. Most producers appreciate that different plants have their own unique requirements. Supplying these unique requirements starts with identifying the present soil and plant conditions with coordinated soil and plant analysis. Proper fertility pays dividends year after year and helps with stand longevity as well as top production.

The paper discusses the importance of soil pH, phosphorus and potassium fertility of alfalfa. And it does not end here; the paper goes into the secondary nutrients of calcium, magnesium and sulfur and their usage as well as application recommendations. From here the grower can also fine tune their fertility program further by looking at boron, zinc, manganese, copper and iron requirements of alfalfa.

Also included are some general tips on top alfalfa production.