The Book of Alfalfa: History, Cultivation and Merits: Its Uses as a Forage and FertilizerCoburn, F. D. (Foster Dwight)
History
The Book of Alfalfa: History, Cultivation and Merits: Its Uses as a Forage and Fertilizer
Coburn, F. D. (Foster Dwight)
Alfalfa
“The general conclusion may be that the protein content of alfalfa hay
will decrease to some extent, according as the supply of water furnished
the crop is increased; that is, by supplying the right quantity of
water, a better quality of hay may be grown by irrigation than is often
grown in humid climates in soil which receives only the natural
rainfall. From what I know of the Colorado and Utah stations, I would
judge that the quantity of water supplied at the Utah station was much
larger than that supplied at the Colorado station. At the Colorado
station the supply of irrigation water is often limited, and hence, the
larger percentage of protein and fat which appears in the samples of hay
grown and analyzed at that station.”
The annual report of the secretary of agriculture (1904) says that at
the Utah station a series of co-operative experiments is in progress to
determine the water necessary, and the most favorable method of
application, to insure a maximum yield of alfalfa, and also experiments
to determine the minimum application of water required to secure a crop.
“It has been found that abundant irrigation throughout the season, 61
inches of water being applied, gave a yield of 6.2 tons per acre, while
four irrigations in the early part of the season with only 25 inches
gave five tons per acre, showing that beyond a certain supply the excess
is wasted.”
A. S. Hitchcock, in United States Farmers’ Bulletin No. 215, speaking of
the Utah experiment just mentioned, says that where the supply of water
is limited a much less quantity than is ordinarily used will produce
paying crops. The minimum quantity to produce a crop of alfalfa, and the
time at which the water should be applied, depends upon the soil and
climatic conditions. Below are results of experiments in 1903, by the
Utah station:
WATER REQUIRED BY ALFALFA; QUANTITY AND DATE OF APPLICATION
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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