Phosphorus Fertility of Alfalfa Hay Stands in Southwest Saskatchewan

Alfalfa based forage stands in SW Saskatchewan are usually established with the intent of harvesting for five or more years. This study was initiated to evaluate the response of alfalfa to P fertilizer additions either once at the start of the study, or applied annually.

IPNI-2002-CAN-SK34

12 Mar 2003

Project Description


Alfalfa grown alone, or in mixtures with grasses, is a common feed source for beef cattle producers in the semiarid region of western Canada. These forage stands are usually established with the intent of harvesting for five or more years. In general, very few of these forage lands are fertilized, as decisions regarding production are based on stand and yield decline. This study was initiated to evaluate the response of alfalfa grown alone, or in mixtures with Russian wildrye grass, to fertilizer additions either once at the start of the study, or applied annually.