Viking 374HD Alfalfa

HIGHEST COMBINATION OF YIELD AND QUALITY
  • The highest quality alfalfa we sell for a 4- or 5-cut system (FD4.0)
  • Viking 374HD yielded 117% of the check in Cornell’s 2020 forage trials
  • Viking 374HD yielded 123% of the check in Cornell’s 2022 forage trials
  • Viking 374HD is the next generation of 372HD, winner of
    the 2022 Forage Super Bowl
  • Lignin levels comparable to other highly digestible varieties
  • Aphanomyces race 1 & 2 resistance and branch root trait = strong persistence and productivity on wetter soils
  • High expression of branch root trait; highly productive on poorly drained soils
  • Available with Apex Green HydroLoc coating or OMRI-approved inoculant

A Grand Champion Alfalfa

Viking 374HD is the next generation of 372HD, winner of the 2022 Forage Super Bowl! Here’s what a grower in Rose Creek, MN had to say:

“My neighbor planted 372HD four years ago and made 3-4 cuttings per summer. I was very impressed with the yield, quality and persistence in that field. He interseeded it with Green Spirit last spring to maximize the production in the final year. I bought some hay from him off that field this summer and entered it into the World Forage Analysis Superbowl. It won Grand Champion Dairy Hay for that category. The quality was just excellent.”

See how 374HD Alfalfa Performs

$34.50$305.00


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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.

Viking 374HD Alfalfa
Performance Table
VarietyW.S.IFDNumber of CuttingsTraffic ToleranceD.R.IAphanomyces R1Aphanomyces R2Phyto. Root RotVertic. Root RotBacterial WiltFusarium WiltAnthracnoseStem NematodePea Aphid Tol
Viking 374HD Alfalfa1.74.04.5X35/35HRHRHRHRHRHRHRIDID
Viking 394AP Alfalfa1.84.34-5X35/35HRHRHRHRHRHRHRIDID
Viking 342LH Alfalfa1.94.03-4X30/30HRIDHRHRHRHRHRMRID
Foregrazer V Alfalfa1.93.53-5X33/35HRRHRRHRHRHRIDR
Viking 330M Alfalfa2.243-429/30HRIDHRHRRHRHRIDID
Viking 3100 Alfalfa2.43.0328/30RIDHRHRRHRHRIDID
Matrix Alfalfa2.02.52-3X25/30RSRMRHRRHRIDR
Vernal Alfalfa2.22.02-311/30SIDSIDRRIDIDID
Honest John Alfalfa2.53.53-429/30HRIDHRHRRHRHRIDID
NA9.03-4IDRRRIDSHRSIDHR

DOWNLOAD ALFALFA AGRONOMICS & RESOURCES SHEET (PDF)

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:

APEXTM 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-COATTM

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-VAILTM

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.

IMPROVE ALFALFA HAY AND HAYLAGE

University of Minnesota field tests show that seeding an alfalfa/grass mix comprised of 30% to 40% grasses achieves higher yields in the final stand. In fact, orchardgrass or tall fescue mixtures with alfalfa had approximately 15% more milk production potential per acre compared to alfalfa alone.

ALFALFA-GRASS MIXTURE OPTIONS
See premixed  options in our Hay & Pasture Mixes section or individual grass varieties in the Cool Season Grasses section. Ask about our custom mixing!

BENEFITS OF ALFALFA-GRASS MIXTURES

Yield. Alfalfa-grass mixtures will often provide greater yield than direct-seeded alfalfa.

Drying rate. Grasses like orchardgrass, tall fescue, meadow fescue, smooth bromegrass, and timothy increase hay drying rates.

Feeding value. Grasses add higher fiber (NDF) digestibility than alfalfa which increases relative forage quality (RFQ).

Weed suppression. Grasses provide competition and cover to edge out weeds.

 

Cultural and Harvest Information

As a grazing crop:
Alfalfa can be grazed alone or in a mixture but special attention must be given to minimize the potential of bloat. This risk can be minimized by seeding alfalfa with grasses. To prolong the longevity of the stand, it must be grazed evenly and stocked adequately. Interseeding grasses into thin patches can maintain the uniformity of the sod under heavy grazing pressure. Alfalfa seeded into an existing stand will often not establish due to autotoxicity of alfalfa plants.

As a haying crop:
Seeding Year – When alfalfa is spring seeded, the first cutting can be made 60 days after emergence if one cutting during the seeding year is allowed to reach early bloom before it is harvested. Normally up to two to three harvests may be made in the year of a spring seeding, depending on the length of the growing season, fertility of the soil and available moisture.

Established Stands – For high-quality alfalfa, make the first cutting at mid- to full bud stage. Cutting pre- or early bud alfalfa is not recommended because there is a higher risk reducing the stand. If an alfalfa stand has been weakened by winter stress, make the first cutting at the early- to midbloom stage. Summer cuttings are permitted at early bloom (approximately 35 days between cuttings). Avoid cutting alfalfa during the 6-week period prior to the average hard frost date (generally between early September and mid-October).

If harvests are delayed until mid-October, leave a 4- to 6-inch stubble to protect the crown and to catch snow for added insulation over winter.

Harvest schedules for alfalfa-grass mixtures should be based on the growth stage of the alfalfa as it relates to the species of grass used in the mix.

As a cover crop:
Alfalfa is an excellent plowdown crop for building productive, healthy soils on the farm. Alfalfa is fairly slow to establish but yields tremendous biomass and fixes large amounts of N at when mature. Alfalfa as a plowdown crop/cover crop can be fit into multiple rotations. Alfalfa is successfully sown with a nurse crop of spring small grains and can be tilled under in the fall of that same year. Established alfalfa can also been retained for pasture or forage and plowed under when the stand is weak or less productive. To maintain maximum cover crop & soil building potential, allow maximum growth on the alfalfa and refrain from harvesting. Improved, high fall dormancy varieties are ideal for use as a cover crop in the upper-Midwest; their low winterhardiness rating allows them to die off over the winter months. Inexpensive alfalfa blends may also be used if value is a consideration.

EARLY PAY DISCOUNT

  • 10% if paid by Sept. 30, 2023
  • 7% if paid by Nov. 30, 2023
  • 5% if paid by Dec. 30, 2023
  • 3% if paid by Jan. 30, 2024

Not available with John Deere Financing.
Available on corn, soybeans, and alfalfa seed only.

Boxed Corn and Soybeans

  • Seed corn is available in 40-unit (80M/unit) hard-sided pro-boxes or soft-sided tote bags at no additional charge
  • Soybeans are available in 40-unit (140M/Unit or 110M/unit) soft-sided tote bags at no additional charge.
  • Soybeans are available in 40-unit (140M/unit or 110M/unit) hard-sided pro-boxes for an additional $3/unit
  • Orders for boxes or totes must be placed by Feb. 29, 2024
  • Bulk boxes must be returned by June 30, 2024
  • Cost of returning boxes is the responsibility of the customer
  • $600 deposit per box invoiced at time of delivery

John Deere Financial Special Terms

INTEREST RATE THROUGH PAYMENT DATE
0% Fixed Dec. 30, 2023 Jan. 2025
Prime -3% Jan. 30, 2024 Jan. 2025
Prime +3% Sept. 30, 2024 Jan. 2025

  • Available on corn, soybeans, and alfalfa
  • $2,500 minimum purchase.
  • “Regular” purchase JDF is available on any product with no minimum purchase (special terms do not apply).
  • JDF customer service: 1-800-356-9033
  • Apply online at:
    deere.com/en/finance/financing/multi-use-account

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