Viking 374HD Alfalfa

Get top yields, high quality, and outstanding persistence with our lineup of conventional alfalfa varieties available from Viking non-GMO and Albert Lea Seed. When selecting an alfalfa variety, it’s important to consider how long the field will be in production, how many cuttings a year you plan to take, the end use for the forage (quality needs), and the unique challenges for the field location (disease/insects). For practical knowledge and friendly advice on which alfalfa varieties to select for your farm, reach out to your local Viking non-GMO dealer or give us a call (800).352.5247.

Overview

Uses:

• Hay
• Silage
• Pasture
• Cover Crop

Strengths:

• Superior yield and protein to other forage.
• Good re-growth after cutting or grazing.
• Breeding for improved winterhardiness, yield and disease resistance.
• Well adapted to drought-prone soils
• Excellent biomass accumulation & N fixation

Weaknesses:

• Potential to cause bloat when grazed
• Not well-suited to wet soils

Plant Information

Winterhardiness:
Good to excellent depending on variety and fertilization (Potash is essential for increasing winterhardiness and stand survival)

Drought-Tolerance:
Excellent (for established stands)

Wet soil tolerance:
Select varieties with Phytophthora & Aphanomyces resistance

Average Nitrogen Fixation:
100 – 150 lbs N /acre

Forage Yield Range:
3 – 8 DM ton / A (average 2- to 4-cut system)

Relative Forage Quality:
147 – 186 (index value)

Seed and Seeding Info

Seeds per lb:
200,000 to 220,000

Seeding Rate Alone:
15-20 lbs /acre

Seeding Rate in Mixtures:
15 lbs / acre when mixed with grass

Range of Seeding Dates:
Spring or late summer (April – Mid-May and Aug. 5 – 25th in Southern MN)

Methods of seeding:
Broadcast and drag – Drill ; Rolling or cultipacking helps. Often seeded with a small grain cover crop when planted in the spring. Later summer seedings should be direct seeded to minimize competition.

Best seeding depth:
½ to ¾ Inch

Best Soil types:
Well-drained light soils (loam to sandy loam in texture)

pH tolerances:
6.5 to 7.0

Alfalfa Seed treatments

All of our Blue River organic and Viking conventional non-GMO alfalfas may be coated with one of these OMRI-listed inoculants or coatings:

APEX^TM GREEN HydroLoc

Encapsulates each seed in a mix of micro-nutrients, including iron, zinc, and manganese; and rhizobia bacteria to ensure nodulation and nitrogen fixation. The HydroLoc absorbent compounds hold water around seed, improving germination and seedling survival, especially under adverse conditions.

NITRO-COAT^TM

Contains a multi-strain, crop-specific rhizobium blend to provide maximum nodulation, stand establishment, and yield potential. Helps attract soil moisture to the seed, ensuring quick stand establishment.

PRE-VAIL^TM

Clay-based pre-inoculant improves early seedling vigor through increased root development and excellent nodulation for higher yields. Contains high levels of rhizobia for nitrogen fixation – 100 million viable cells per gram – and Azospirillum bacteria to promote plant growth.