Utilization based on game camera survey on this crop choice + evidence of use
Growth Results
This variety came up great. So good in fact that I hated to spray roundup over it. But that was the point of this planting so I sprayed over it when it was in the 3rd Trifoliate stage. Interestingly, I lost 25-30% of the plot but I learned that is normal. Not every plant takes on the RR gene. Spraying then weeds them out. I did have to perform a light reseeding and by July I had a kick ass, nearly weed free Alfalfa stand.
Activity Results
Next to my soybean field, this plot drew deer like crazy. My mature bucks were there nearly every night. Tons of does and fawns too. The only downside was it went dormant sooner than normal alfala - around mid-late October. Even despite that, the plot was a huge draw.
Comments
I absolutely love alfalfa for plots, but it can be a pain in the ass to manage and maintain. Mostly due to weed and clover competition. There are a couple of Roundup Ready varieties that I've had my eye on and this variety is one of them. This field doubles as a hay production field and a food plot so I can stay within my growers agreement and still test our results. It will be very interested to see how well it comes up again next year as it's a perennial.