Alfalfa rotation

When you rotate your alfalfa, what crop or crops do you rotate with?

 

I have three fields to plant this spring. One is going back into alfalfa after a year of barley. It is getting 30T/acre of manure before it's planted. It should be fine, soil tests will give us the details.

 

I have two other fields to plant and I am looking at options. I would ideally like to put in a crop that I can harvest with my hay equipment, but that may not be possible. I have thought of beardless barley and haying it at the dough stage. I have considered Teff  grass but it doesn't do well here from what I understand.

 

The other options that I have considered are Corn or Sorghum. Corn and Sorghum would require a chopper, a cart, and trucks. I have everything necessary for a silage pit and cover etc....I also have use of a chopper and cart. It shouldn't be that hard to track down a truck.

 

I should mention that grains are out due to Coors and Bud reducing acreage contracts by roughly 40 % this year.

 

Another consideration for me is that I would really like to increase organic matter in the soil as mine is fairly depleted. The home place is a work in progress. Prior to 2006 when we bought it, it hadn't been turned under since the 80's.

 

My acreage changes from year to year dependent on rent ground etc. This is an ongoing conversation that seems to present itself every couple of years.

 

If you have any suggestions, fire away. I am sure that there are crops that I haven't considered.

Alfalfa rotation