Vicki Morrone Outreach Specialist for Organic Vegetable and Field Crops 480 Wilson Rd Room 303 East Lansing, MI 48824 Www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu 517-353-3542/517-282-3557 (cell) From: "Cullens, Faith" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 10:27:30 -0400 To: Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute - All <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Subject: 1st Cutting Alfalfa I wanted to make everyone with an interest in alfalfa aware of a small project myself, Kathy Lee, Roberta Osborne, Phil Kaatz, and Mike Allen are taking on to help producers determine when to cut first cutting alfalfa this year. Alfalfa quality is unknown due to abnormal weather conditions this year. Many producers are planning to cut several weeks ahead of schedule, predicting that quality is low. However if quality is high, then producers may end up with very low NDF forage that could be difficult to use in livestock rations, and would be better off waiting until there is more yield and appropriate NDF. We are starting to take samples in several areas across the state this week and will do so weekly until 1st cutting is done. If you would like to receive the weekly updates of alfalfa NDF, and the NDF correlations with GDD and PEAQ, please reply by email. Faith Cullens MSU Extension Dairy Educator 100 E. State Street Suite G100 St Johns, MI 48879 989-224-5249 (office) 517-388-1078 (mobile) 989-224-5244 (fax) If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html