Planting barley or oats after alfalfa

I had planned on planting corn next spring in a field of alfalfa that has thinned badly due to an investation of grubs feeding on the roots but am now rethinking that decision for a couple different reasons. I'm now thinking about planting either winter oats or barley this fall if we get some rain before it gets too late to plant. Here there is an very good market for feed grains and I could also plant a double crop of milo or beans after harvesting the grain and straw so it would likely pencil out better than the corn.

How well barley or oats will do after alfalfa? I have not killed the alfalfa yet but its 10 days until the next forecasted rain so it will be a while before I could plant anyway. If I can't plant by Thanksgiving I won't try it. Would it be an issue if the alfalfa has been sprayed but isn't fully dead when I'm no tilling the barley or oats into it? How long will it take before there is nitrogen available from the alfalfa? Will I need to apply any N a planting and would there be enough available N from the alfalfa by next spring that I wouldn't need to top dress the small grain?

Hayden

Planting barley or oats after alfalfa