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Premier Iowa Hay Grower Discovers Soil Health with No-Till Alfalfa
Adair County farmer Dennis Lundy began no-tilling alfalfa hay for the first time five years ago to prevent soil erosion on his rolling, highly erosive Shelby soils. Now, he is not only reducing soil erosion but also improving his soil health and achieving better alfalfa stands.
Lundy, who farms north of Fontanelle, is considered one of the premier hay growers in western Iowa. He grows about 1,300 alfalfa acres per year, and rotates another 500 acres of corn, soybeans and winter wheat into his system. He markets hay primarily to dairy producers across the Midwest, but also supplies beef feedlot producers closer to home. Even though alfalfa takes a lot more management than corn and soybeans, Lundy says it has been more profitable for him throughout the years. “Once you get started with alfalfa, success is measured by how you do your job. It’s not like the Board of Trade is determining your price,†he said. “If I do a good job managing the alfalfa, I’ll get a good price for it.†Lundy has no-tilled all of his corn and soybeans for nearly 30 years, but until five years ago he felt it necessary to till the soil before seeding alfalfa. “It just dawned on me that we had the perfect seedbed before we ever took the tillage tool to the soil, and then we just messed it up,†said Lundy. “We’ve had better stands of alfalfa since we started no-tilling than we ever did before.†By managing crop residue and eliminating soil disturbing activities, farmers often benefit from better plant growth, reduced soil erosion, increased profit margins, and even better wildlife habitat. “I realized I wasn’t going to get the full benefits of no-till until I went completely no-till with alfalfa,†said Lundy. Leave a comment: |
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