Production Update:

National Alfalfa Symposium: The National Alfalfa Symposium will be held in San Diego December 13-15, 2004. This symposium is a more national version of the annual California Alfalfa Symposium with several topics of broad interest, but many of the topics are regional in nature. Information for this symposium can be found at http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/subpages/2004Symposium/2004SymposiumHome.html

Insect Management: Alfalfa is a major acreage crop in the low desert and a major reservoir of beneficial insects. Alfalfa in bloom provides pollen and nectar for honey bees and other species of bees. Alfalfa also is a home for many predaceous bugs ( pictures) such as assassin bugs, bigeyed bugs, damsel bugs, and minute pirate bugs. These predaceous insects along with several species of spiders feed on many pest insects in alfalfa such as beet armyworm and alfalfa caterpillar. In addition, several parasitic insects are at home in alfalfa, such as Hyposoter exiguae ( picture), a wasp parasite of beet armyworm, and Cotesia medicaginis ( picture), a parasite of alfalfa caterpillar. Therefore, alfalfa should never be treated with an insecticide that will kill beneficial insects unless the crop is threatened with sever loss by pest insects. Destroying these beneficial insects often leads to severe outbreaks of other insect pests

Weed Control: All of the preplant herbicides registered for use in alfalfa can cause crop injury. These include Eptam and Balan. Trifluralin (Treflan) will reduce the new stand by 40 to 60% if put on prior to crop emergence. Prowl is not registered on alfalfa and will also hurt new seedlings if it is not incorporated.

10 Year Summary (August 10, to August 23, 1995-2004):

Full Disclaimers

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, James A. Christenson, Director Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Arizona.

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