FORAGE CROPS IN NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. 



31 



ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION. 



The production of alfalfa seed is a rather important industry in 

 various parts of this region. In the vicinity of the Black Hills, 

 S. Dak., and in the Milk River Valley, Mont., fair to good crops 

 are usually obtained. More or less seed is produced over most of 

 the region when seasonal conditions are favorable. In the eastern 

 part of the area, however, satisfactory seed crops can not be depended 



upon. 



ALFALFA WITH AND WITHOUT A NURSE CROP. 



For several years experiments have been conducted to determine 

 whether a nurse crop can be profitably used in sowing alfalfa in 

 this region. The general conclusion reached is that where the ulti- 

 mate object is to obtain a good stand of alfalfa it is safer to sow it 

 alone. While good results follow the use of the nurse crop in many 

 cases, complete failures are not uncommon. Everything depends 

 upon the season. If there is an abundance of moisture in the soil 

 the chances are in favor of practically as good a stand with as with- 

 out a nurse crop. But if the season is dry the results are likely to 

 be disastrous. Table 15 gives the results of tests that have been 

 conducted with nurse crops at the various stations. 



Table 15. — Hay yields of alfalfa with and without a nurse crop at three stations 

 in the northern Great Plains region in stated years. 



[Data in pounds per acre, weights at Moccasin being those of air-dry material. Yields in each case are from 

 sowings made the previous year except that those at Sheridan in 1919 were from sowings made in 1917 

 and all yields at Moccasin were from sowings made in 1915.] 



Station and method of sowing. 



1916 



1917 



1918 



1919 



1920 



1921 



1922 



Aver- 

 age. 



Redfield, S. Dak.: 



Alfalfa alone 





3,695 

 4,450 

 4,360 

 4,140 



1,925 

 

 

 



1,500 

 

 

 



C 1 ) 



( x ) 



C 1 ) 



C 1 ) 



2,025 

 1,837 

 2,012 

 1,575 

 1,475 



760 

 490 



6,087 

 6,475 

 6,256 

 5,943 

 6,375 



800 

 



3,046 

 2,552 

 2,526 



Alfalfa with wheat 





Alfalfa with oats 





Alfalfa with barley 





2,332 



Alfalfa with flax 





Sheridan, Wyo.: 



Alfalfa alone 







3,200 

 2,620 



1,800 

 1,592 

 1,546 

 2,051 

 1,604 



80 

 40 





 

 

 

 



2,380 

 2,760 



3,283 

 3,031 

 3,139 

 3,099 

 3, 257 



1,444 

 1,182 



Alfalfa and barley 







Moccasin, Mont.: 



Alfalfa alone 



3,080 

 3,040 

 2,900 

 2,970 

 2,780 



2,780 

 2,640 

 2,500 

 2,640 

 2,460 



2,189 

 2,061 

 2,017 

 2,152 









Alfalfa and wheat 













Alfalfa and flax 







2,020 









1 Sweet clover volunteered to such an extent that yields were not obtained. 



At Redfield in two years out of five as good results have been obtained 

 with as without a nurse crop, but there were two years (1918 and 

 1919) when no stands were obtained where a nurse crop was used. 

 At Sheridan sowings made alone gave better yields in every case but 

 one. At Moccasin only one sowing was made, but the plats sown 

 alone gave a higher average yield during the years 1916 to 1920 than 

 any of the nurse-crop plats. 



At all the stations the average yield over a period of years was 

 enough greater where the alfalfa was sown alone to make the use of 

 a nurse crop appear inadvisable. There is no consistency in the 

 results obtained with the various nurse crops, but the general observa- 

 tions point to flax as being the least harmful. 



