Integrating Alfalfa: A Smarter Approach to Pest Management and Forage Flexibility
By integrating alfalfa into a crop rotation, producers can break cycles of pest resistance and improve long-term soil health, all while capitalizing on the benefits of harvest flexibility from traited alfalfa.
Corn rootworm remains one of the most persistent and economically damaging pests in corn production, with some populations developing resistance to Bt corn and crop rotation practices.
"Corn rootworm has developed resistance to two-year crop rotations by having eggs that remain viable in the soil for up to four years, waiting for corn to be planted once again," said Dr. Erika Rodbell, a forage research agronomist at Forage Genetics International. “Alfalfa acts as a perennial break in the crop rotation and can extend the length of the rotation beyond the egg viability threshold of four years.”
By incorporating alfalfa into their cropping systems, growers can naturally suppress rootworm populations while improving overall soil structure and reducing reliance on chemical treatments.
Beyond pest management and forage quality, alfalfa provides additional agronomic advantages.
Its nitrogen-fixing capabilities reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers in subsequent crops, resulting in potential cost savings and improved sustainability.
"Alfalfa has root nodules that harness nitrogen to make it available for the plant, meaning crops that follow alfalfa need little to no nitrogen fertilizer," Rodbell said.
Alfalfa's deep root system enhances water infiltration and soil stability, providing long-term agronomic benefits. Alfalfa improves soil health by increasing organic matter, enhancing microbial activity and reducing erosion. Its perennial growth habit helps stabilize soil structure, making it an excellent choice for farms looking to build resilience against extreme weather conditions.
“Incorporating alfalfa into a diversified cropping system can also help farmers meet conservation goals, supporting long-term land productivity,” Rodbell said.
Utilizing harvest flexibility to manage alfalfa weevil
A threat in alfalfa production is the alfalfa weevil, which defoliates plants, reducing yield and quality.
"Alfalfa weevil is one of the most damaging insect pests of alfalfa production and has shown to be resistant to pyrethroid insecticides in pockets across the Great Plains and the Intermountain West. A method to manage alfalfa weevils that limits reliance on chemical control strategies is to harvest one week early,” Rodbell said. “Farmers can initially harvest early to manage weevils and then delay subsequent harvests.”
Stacking benefits with traited alfalfa
With conventional alfalfa, delaying harvest as part of an alfalfa weevil management plan could mean compromising quality. However, with the HarvXtra® Alfalfa trait, growers can extend the cutting window by up to 10 days to increase tonnage without losing out on quality.
The ability to delay harvest without quality loss also translates into higher potential yields, reducing the frequency of cuttings and lowering harvest costs over time. In fact, producers can achieve up to 20% higher yield1at harvest without a negative impact on quality compared to conventional alfalfa harvested on the same interval.
For producers looking to enhance their forage system while strengthening their pest mitigation strategy, the HarvXtra Alfalfa trait offers an innovative and flexible solution. With benefits ranging from improved digestibility and increased yield potential, it delivers long-term value to farming operations.
The HarvXtra Alfalfa trait is designed to provide flexibility, enabling growers to balance high-quality forage with yield optimization. Traditional alfalfa varieties experience a rapid decline in digestibility as they mature. However, the HarvXtra Alfalfa trait offers a 14-20% improvement in neutral detergent fiber digestibility, NDFD1, across cuttings compared to conventional varieties harvested at the same stage of maturity.
"The HarvXtra Alfalfa trait gives farmers the flexibility to harvest on their schedule, not the crop's schedule," Rodbell said. "This flexibility allows growers to adapt their cutting schedules to pest pressures, weather conditions, labor availability or operational priorities while maintaining superior forage quality.”
To learn more about the HarvXtra Alfalfa trait and how it can fit into your rotation strategy, visit HarvXtra.com or contact your local alfalfa dealer.
LEGAL: © 2025 Forage Genetics International. HarvXtra® is a trademark of Forage Genetics International, LLC. Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC, used under license by Forage Genetics International, LLC. HarvXtra® Alfalfa with Roundup Ready® Technology is subject to planting and use restrictions. Visit ForageGenetics.com/legal for the full legal, stewardship and trademark statements for these products.
Reference:
1 Data from FGI trials comparing HarvXtra® Alfalfa with Roundup Ready Technology 2017 FD4 commercial varieties to FD4 commercial checks. Trials were seeded in 2013 and harvested in 2014, 2015, and 2016 in Boone, IA; Mt. Joy, PA; Nampa, ID; Touchet, WA; and West Salem, WI. Yield increase was directly correlated to the ability to delay harvest.
