SOD SEEDING OF FORAGES. II. VEGETATION CONTROL 

 G. W. Mueller-Warrant, D. W. Koch, and J. R. Mitchell- 



INTRODUCTION 

 With the recent development of new herbicides and no-tillage 

 seeding equipment there is an opportunity for timely introduction of 

 legumes in order to sustain high productivity of hay land and pastures. 

 Alfalfa is the most productive legume in the Northeast when grown on 

 soils which are well drained and highly fertile. It is often used as 

 a comparatively inexpensive source of home-grown protein for dairy 

 animals. While alfalfa is a relatively long-lived crop, periodic 

 renovation of stands is necessary to maintain maximum yields and 

 quality. Much of the land in forage production in the Northeast is 

 rocky and/or steep. Difficulties in renovating and delayed re- 

 seeding lead to alfalfa thinning and grass domination of the stand. 



One alternative to complete renovation is application of nitrogen; 

 however, the currently high cost of nitrogen and the relative 

 unresponsiveness of weedy grasses limit the value of this method. There 

 is a need for reliable methods of introducing legumes without tillage. 



— Formerly Graduate Research Assistant, Associate Professor, and Associate 

 professor, respectively. Plant Science Department, University of New 

 Hampshire, Durham, N.H. 03824. Senior author is now Assistant Professor, 

 South Central Kansas Experimental Field, Route 2, Hutchinson, KS 67501. 



