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Incorporating Alfalfa in Forage Systems Could Lead to Environmental Benefits

Incorporating Alfalfa in Forage Systems Could Lead to Environmental Benefits

When implementing grazing management strategies, one of the key tools to success is using temporary fencing technology, courtesy of University of Georgia by Justin Burt.

Alfalfa, once a dominant forage in Georgia, is the third-highest crop for economic returns in the United States. Combined with cheap nitrogen prices, difficulty growing the desirable forage crop in Georgia’s challenging climate led to a decline in alfalfa production in the state after its peak in the 1960s.

Now University of Georgia (UGA) grazing specialist Jennifer Tucker is doing her part to restore alfalfa production to the state for the benefit of both producers and the land.

Tucker, an associate professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Department of Animal and Dairy Science, is working with colleagues from Auburn University, University of Florida, and the University of Tennessee on grants from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage System Program to develop best management practices to restore grasslands and sustainably increase alfalfa production in the Southeast. For more information, read this University of Georgia CAES News article.

Photo courtesy of University of Georgia by Justin Burt

Farm Bill Priority Areas
Plant health, production, and products
Animal health and production and animal products
U.S. States and Territories
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Tennessee

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