Species
Perennial Legume

Alfalfa

Illinois

General Information

Alfalfa is a deep-rooted, perennial legume, and is considered the most nutritious and oldest-known crop grown for forage.

The first recorded occurrence of alfalfa in the United States was in Texas around 1700. From there, its use spread throughout the southeastern part of the country. Today, there are five types grown.

Alfalfa is an excellent plant for controlling soil erosion, improving soil, fertility and for providing nesting cover for wildlife.

Adaptability

Alfalfa is adapted to deep, fertile, well-drained soils. The soil should be high in calcium, and should have a pH between 6.5 and 7.0 to support the best production.

Characteristics

Alfalfa will grow two to three feet tall with five to 20 erect stems rising from a fleshy, crown. The flower is generally bluish purple and shaped like a pea flower. However, some varieties’ flowers are yellow. Clusters of three leaflets are arranged alternately on the stem. The deep-rooted plant has an almost straight taproot with very few branches.

Establishment

A soil test should be obtained before seeding alfalfa. Lime and fertilizer should be applied as recommended. Lime should be applied at least six months prior to planting.

Once a clean, firm seedbed is prepared, a cultipacker should be used before and after planting to ensure stand survival.

A nurse crop of small grain may be planted at a rate of 20 pounds per acre to protect the new seedlings. The nurse crop must be controlled to reduce competition for moisture, nutrients and sunlight.
Check with the Natural Resources Conservation Service or University Extension for proper seeding rates.

Alfalfa does well when planted with brome or orchard grass, and is moderately compatible when planted with Timothy, Tall Fescue, and Reed Canary grasses. Alfalfa also does well when planted with legumes, such as Bird’s-Foot Trefoil, Red Clover, and Alsike Clover.

The proper management of alfalfa requires intense labor and maintenance. Pests such as weevils and leaf hoppers need to be controlled.

Management

Alfalfa is very nutritious and highly palatable when used for hay or grazing.

When grown for hay, alfalfa should be cut at one-tenth bloom, or when new shoots begin to emerge from the crown.

Alfalfa will not cure well during cool, wet conditions. In these instances, a crimper should be used to improve the rate of curing.

Phosphorus, potassium and lime may be applied in the spring or fall, preferably in the fall. The last cutting should be timed to allow for one month of regrowth before the first killing frost. When managed properly, alfalfa will provide a protein content of 20 percent and a total digestive nutrient value of 60 percent or greater.

Alfalfa should not be grazed until plants reach a height of six to eight inches, and should not be grazed closer than three inches.

When alfalfa is grown in a mixture of grasses, the chances of bloat are reduced. Otherwise, bloat inhibiting additives are recommended.

Fields of alfalfa should be small enough for livestock to graze off the forage in three days. The grazing period should be followed by 20 to 25 days of rest.

It is advisable to alternate grazing periods with hay cutting to get uniform use of the field and to keep the regrowth lush and productive.

Where to Get Help

For more information about alfalfa, contact the local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service listed in the telephone directory under “U.S. Government,” or the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

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Species
Perennial Legume

Alsick Clover

Illinois

General Information

Alsike Clover is an upright, short lived, perennial legume that is often agriculturally treated as a biennial plant, and is often grown in combination with other grasses for hay or pasture.

Alsike lacks persistence, usually living for only two years. Alsike somewhat resembles red Clover with stems one to three feet long, but they are more slender and more prostrate.

Stems and leaves are smooth and the flower heads are pink or white. Alsike Clover tillers profusely from the crown.

The stem does not terminate in a flowering head but keeps on growing. Flowers bearing branches arise from each leaf axis so that the oldest flowers are nearer the base of the stem.

Adaptability

Alsike Clover is believed to have originated in Sweden, and has been cultivated in Europe for centuries. It was introduced into England and Scotland about 1830 and into the United States by 1840.

Alsike Clover is compatible to low wet areas with such grasses as Fescue, Reed Canary grass, Switch grass and Eastern Gama grass. Adapts better than Red Clover to sour, wet sites, and will tolerate flooding for long periods. Growth persists throughout hot weather as long as moisture is adequate. Alsike can be killed out if drought periods become prolonged. Susceptible to the same diseases as red Clover, Alsike is Clover considered resistant to anthracnose. Alsike Clover does well on soil that is too acid for Red Clover.

Establishment

Alsike Clover responds well to phosphate, potash and lime. Any needed fertility should be incorporated during seedbed preparation whenever possible. Soil pH should be brought up to at least 6.0 when a new stand is established. Seeds should be planted about one-fourth-inch deep and have the soil firmed around them by using a drill with packer wheels or by cultipacking after seeding.

Check with the Natural Resources Conservation Service or University Extension for proper seeding rates.

Seed needs to be treated with the proper inoculant within 12 hours of planting.

Weedy competition needs to be controlled until the stand is established.

Varieties best suited to Illinois include Aurora and Dawn.

Management

Alsike Clover is very palatable to all grazing animals, protein, and energy content is a little greater than red Clover.

Although not a lot of quantity is added, overall quality of pastures is improved when established into predominantly grass fields, and preferred by rabbits, geese, and other wildlife.

Alsike Clover provides excellent nesting cover when planted in grass mixtures. The tendency to lodge is also reduced when grown with tall, upright growing grasses.

Mixtures with grasses will reduce the incident of bloat.

Alsike Clover usually produces only one cutting of hay per season. Harvest the hay when in full bloom.

Limited grazing is sometimes OK during late fall on fields cut for hay. Like other palatable forage species, rest is necessary for the plant to recover from grazing.

The grazing period should not exceed seven days followed by a rest of at least 21 days. Rest periods will need to be longer when the growth rate is slower.

As with other legumes and palatable forage species, rotations are necessary to maintain vigor.

Where to Get Help

For more information about alsike Clover, contact the local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service listed in the telephone directory under “U.S. Government,” or the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

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Species
Perennial Legume

Annual Lespedeza

Illinois

General Information

There are two Annual Lespedezas used for pasture and hay in Illinois: Striate (or Common) and Korean. Common originated in Japan, and was introduced into the United States in 1846. Korean was introduced from Korea in 1919.

A good way to distinguish the two from each other is by their stem hairs. The hairs on Korean slant up, while those on Common slant down.

The leaves of Korean turn upward after flowering to protect the seed pods. Leaves do not protect the seed pod on Common.

The plant will vary in height from four to 24 inches, depending on growing conditions. The flowers range from purple to pink in all varieties.

Adaptability

Annual lespedeza will grow in most types of soil that are well drained. Lespedezas tolerate low fertility, yet respond to lime and phosphorus. Annual lespedeza is best suited to a pH of 5.5 - 6.0, but can produce good yields with pH levels as low as 5.0.

Lespedeza is very drought resistant, likes hot weather, and produces well throughout the warm season. Being an annual, year-to-year production is more dependent on the current weather conditions.

Annual lespedeza was more widely used in the 1940s and 1950s. Several factors contributed to its decline: the drought of 1953 and 1954; susceptibility to bacterial wilt and tar spot; and the increased use of fertilizer on fescue. Legumes find it difficult to compete with fertilized, aggressive grasses.

Establishment

Annual lespedeza should be planted in the spring, into a well prepared, firm seedbed, to which any needed fertilizer has been incorporated. An alternate method is to broadcast over pastures in late winter, allowing normal freezing and thawing to work the seed into the soil. Frost seeding is often done during fertilizer application, and can be quite successful if the nitrogen level is limited.

Check with the Natural Resources Conservation Service or University Extension for proper seeding rates.

Once established, enough seed should be produced to perpetuate the stand.

The Korean varieties best adapted to Illinois are Korean and Summit. Kobe and Marion are the best adapted Striate or Common types for Illinois.

Management

Lespedeza is a non-bloating legume that is palatable to all kinds of grazing livestock, and does a good job of supplying high quality forage during the warm season when cool-season grasses become dormant.

Established with endophyte infected fescue, the effect is diluted by supplying a non-contaminated component to the ration.

When mature, an anti-lactation factor in the seed can cause a reduction in milk production in dairy cows.

Hay yields, though not high, are good quality with few curing problems because of the late harvesting date.

Annual lespedeza is compatible with most of the cool-season grasses as long as nitrogen levels are not too high.

Lespedeza may be one of the best legumes to use with warm-season grasses because of matches in growth cycle. Probably one of the best at surviving close, continuous grazing. When closely grazed, Lespedeza tends to grow low to the ground and escapes utilization allowing seed production.

The seed provides a high quality food for quail and other seed-eating wildlife. The forage is used as browse by deer, turkey and rabbits. The ability to provide good production with lower levels of management, annual lespedeza works well in low input forage systems.

Where to Get Help

For more information about annual lespedeza, contact the local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service listed in the telephone directory under “U.S. Government,” or the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

Download This Factsheet  PDF