Effects of Eight Three-Cut Harvesting Schedules on Production of Alfalfa Forage Under Irrigation in Southwestern Saskatchewan

Harvesting a third cut of alfalfa in southwestern Saskatchewan has not been a normal practice since winter injury often results. This experiment was designed to determine if a third cut could be obtained without inducing injury or reducing yield the following year. The cultivars Roamer and Beaver were planted in two separate years in a nested design with the subplots being nine cutting schedules. A third cut of alfalfa could be harvested after 1 Oct. without reducing the yield of the first cut in the subsequent year. As the time interval between the first and second cuts increased so did the yield. There was a high degree of variability due to harvest years and this was particularly evident on the third cutting dates. The best three-cut system involved two cuts at the recommended 10% bloom stage and a third cut after growth had ceased in October.