Hello from Duncan Morrison, our Executive Director  

Add a little Alfalfa to the Crop Rotation

With lower commodity prices and fertilizer prices trending higher, perennial legumes such as alfalfa may have an excellent place in cereal and oilseed crop rotations. The major benefit of adding alfalfa to your crop rotation is its ability to capture nitrogen from the air and make it available for subsequent crops. The Manitoba Soil Fertility Guide shows an N credit of up to 90 lbs in the first year after termination. 

   Alfalfa can also provide a break in the disease cycle of annual crops when used in a 2-3 year rotation, offering a good approach to breaking pest cycles such as Fusarium, blackleg or clubroot.

   Finally, because of its deep rooting habit, alfalfa can help improve soil structure and tithe, which can improve the internal drainage of heavy soils and the organic matter content of all soils. 

   If forages don't fit into your operation but you would like to reap their benefits, you might want to consider swapping land with neighbours that have a need for alfalfa in their operations. 

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New Forage Package for Green Gold 

Central Testing Laboratory Ltd (CTL) in Winnipeg has been involved with Green Gold since the beginning - nearly 20 years ago. There have been many changes over the years in technology, but one thing that has not changed is our commitment to provide great service and reliable results for the Manitoba and Canadian forage industry.     

   This year, CTL would like to invite more producers to get involved in the program. We have set up a specific package for Green Gold so that producers can submit their own samples to gauge their alfalfa's maturity compared to the area average. You will be able to compare your stands to help make informed decisions on how best to manage your crops. The results from your samples, with your permission, will be added to the Green Gold program to add more weight to the results currently being collected. 

   The Green Gold Package (called GGNIR) costs $20 per sample, plus GST. It includes a basic NIR (no wet chemistry) - Moisture, Protein, ADF, NDF, ADIN, ADI-CP, NDIN, NDI-CP, Starch, Lignin RFV,TDN, NFC, DE, ME, NEL, NEM, NEG Minerals: Ca, P, K, Na, NaCl (from Na), Mg. For more information about the package contact CTL at (204) 237-9128 or www.ctl.mb.ca/.  

Comparing Bale Handling Systems
 Options available for bale handling today are very different from those of years past when small square bales were dominant and could be handled manually or by bale throwers and bale pick-up wagons. Large, heavy round and square bales from today's bigger balers present unique handling challenges.

There are three principal types of equipment to consider for a bale handling system: skid-steer loaders, telehandlers and utility tractors. New Holland offers all of these, with sizes and attachments to accommodate any hay handling chore. The best system for a specific haying operation is dependent upon the amount of hay harvested, how much handling is necessary, and whether the hay will be fed on the farm or sold. The bale handling system must be sized adequately to meet the needs of the overall haymaking operation. To choose the system that's right for you, consider your needs for lift capacity, lift height and maneuverability and consult your New Holland dealer, the hay and forage experts.