ND irrigated Alfalfa

Hey all, new to the forum

 

I farm in ND. Some of that is in irrigation. With todays grain prices its very hard for me to get going only been on my own for a few years. The irrigation is nice but budgets are very tight. Another thing is that the pivot ground has PH  6.8-7.2. and makes it hard to grow anything productive other than corn and barley. (which i hate dealing with malting barley). 

 

So this is what i got, Some higher PH soils that is on about 1-6 inchs of decent soil then the rest is pure gravel. Like road gravel. So i have compaction issues that need to be addressed every 4 years. Next spring ill be renting a sub soil ripper to break up hard pans. (no-till planting/seeding here ). Then minimal tillage ( joker, pro-till) the rest.

 

So if a guy would put in alfalfa, is liquid fertilizer an option ( through the pivot) instead of a granular? Again I have compaction issues, So i don't know if i would want a floater going over the top if i can just run liquid through the pivot to meet my P&K needs. there is an irrigated organic alfalfa grower north of me i heard say once in the bar he used calcium and Humates?? and brags about getting 250RFV; but i don't know his yearly tonnage. Ive seen his organic operation and his alfalfa does look nice, very few weeds. But i don't know him well enough to ask more about his operation and how he does things.

 

So what kind of tonnage could one expect and RFV (obviously if put up right) on irrigation? and organically as well?

 

What size of square baler would you guys recommend? I hear in ND its best to ship out of state.

 

Last, what are prices going for conventional and organic alfalfa? 

Im pretty much stuck on conventional but at this point I'm open in trying going organic alfalfa after spraying the field pre alfalfa emergence and start the 36 month clock countdown.

ND irrigated Alfalfa