The first step is to unpack the soil, especially on newly cultivated land, to allow better water infiltration and a good root development. In the interest of saving time and money, it is advisable to have a soil profile done to assess if there is need to eventually unpack the ground.

ICS Recommends

Use a soil tillage tool which leaves the ground firm enough to support many future machine passages. It must also be leveled to prevent runoff caused by irrigation.
Having firm and even soil improves the longevity of alfalfa crop. In fact, its swiveling root system is very sensitive to compaction, which is one of the limiting factors in the life of an alfalfa field. Well reconsolidated soil before planting prevents the harvesting machines, often heavy, from compacting the soil too much and crushing the roots. A damaged alfalfa root is an entry point for the diseases for which alfalfa is often sensible.

ICS recommends

Alfalfa seeds are very small and sensitive to the sowing depth (1 to 1.5 cm). They are also expensive hence the need to reduce as much as possible plant density.

ICS recommends

The special design of this machine allows you to obtain, in almost all situations, a regular seeding depth (+/- 5mm). Its frontal tools can improve the seedbed and the leveling of the field. Rapid therefore obtains the establishment of the crop thanks to a sufficient number of well spaced plants per m².
It also allows, in general, the saving of a significant number of seeds per hectare compared to many competing seeders (between 7 and 15 kg / ha). Productivity also exceeds that of its competitors, with a speed of up to 18km / h!

Alfalfa headers can use two different cutting systems, self propelled sickle knives header for large farms or trailed rotary disc headers for smaller operations (up to 10 pivots, or 400 to 500 hectares).

• For large scale farms

ICS recommends

The cutting system is the most fragile part of the header, it often results in the need for frequent servicing if the system is too fragile. MacDon's cutting system is considered the most robust on the market.

MacDon bar mower with a cutting system considered the most robust on the market

Conditionner
It is also important to have a conditioner, to accelerate the drying process and thus improve the quality of feed. MacDon self-propelled headers are also equiped with a very aggressive steel roller conditioner which allows perfect conditioning of alfalfa (aggressive, yet retaining the leaves).

• For small farm sizes

The draper cutting system is quite expensive, it is not recommended for small farm sizes. We then tend to recommend for the use of rotary disc headers with conditioner. These are cheaper, stronger and more productive.

ICS recommends

The windrowing process, which involves the raking of alfalfa into a windrow before baling it, is a sensitive process. This is because the raking is done just prior to baling, when the forage is dry. The leaves are very sensitive and can easily detach from the stems and be lost.

ICS recommends

Other systems on the market usually require greater maintenance, are often less productive and too aggressive for alfalfa hay.

Baling alfalfa is generally either done in small square bales (18-22kg) or in large square bales (350 to 800kg). Pressing should be done preferably at night when humidity is high enough to prevent the loss of leaves. In fact, pressing by day in hot and desert areas results in significant loss of leaves.
It is sometimes possible to press 2 or 3 hours a night!

ICS Recommends

To solve the problem of available baling time, new machines dampen the alfalfa windrow prior to pressing, and thus increase the period during which baling is possible, all the while maintaining the maximum quantity of leaves.

ICS is working on this and we hope to offer this solution quickly.

Collecting alfalfa bales must be carried out carefully. The use of unsuitable tools, particularly for the collection of large square bales, may cause rapid degradation of the crop.

Because the collection phase can compact the soil and thus cause rapid loss of alfalfa plants (and thus yields and lower quality for the following harvest).

ICS recommends