How much water does a hay field need?

How much water does a hay field need?

Alfalfa grown under optimal conditions requires 540 to 680 mm of water per growing season in southern Alberta. It is estimated that irrigated alfalfa uses about 100 to 125 mm of water for every ton (907.2 kg or 2,000 lb) of hay produced.

How often should I water hay?

It takes an additional 8 days to swath, hay dry down, bale and buck. Therefore, the irrigation interval will be extended to about 15 days. Average daily ET remains at 0.30 inch. The total water-use for interval then is 4.5 inches….Crop Water Requirements.

How much water does it take to irrigate an acre of alfalfa?

18 to 36 inches
However, the irrigation requirement for alfalfa is governed by rainfall and the water holding capacity of the soils growing the crop. Commonly cited ranges in water requirements for alfalfa are 18 to 36 inches of water per season. Alfalfa is quite tolerant of drought or extended periods without highly available water.

How much can you make off hay per acre?

He says it costs about $297 per acre to seed and prepare hay ground. “You are going to get more than three years out of that, but if we use three years, that’s about $100 per acre per year,” Brown says. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre.

Does hay need a lot of water?

A ton of hay requires 4 to 5 inches of water pumped through the plant. Typically, in a three cut management system, 35-45% of the yield is produced during the first growth cycle, before July 1.

How often should you irrigate pasture?

Irrigation will be required between April and October, depending on the amount of rainfall. The peak water use will be in July and August. Plants used in irrigated pastures are rather shallow-rooted, so a 10 to 14 day schedule is recommended. Apply two inches of water each Page 2 time of irrigation during cool weather.

How much water should you put on alfalfa?

Amount of water to apply: On the average, irrigated alfalfa will use approximately 4 to 5 inches of water for every ton of hay produced.

Is it hard to grow hay?

Commercial farms have little difficulty raising hay or sourcing out their needs, but smaller farmers and urban hobbyists can also grow, harvest and bale hay even on a smaller scale. Haying can be challenging, and some farmers simply enjoy that challenge.

What are 2 ways to reduce salinization?

Solutions include improving the efficiency of irrigation channels, capturing and treating salty drainage water, setting up desalting plants, and increasing the amount of water that gets into aquifers. Mulches to save water can also be applied to crops.

Why does alfalfa use so much water?

Water use is high in alfalfa because it has a long growing season, a deep root system, and a dense canopy of vegetation. The amount of water needed for alfalfa production is a function of temperature, wind, humidity, and the amount and intensity of light.

How many tons per acre does alfalfa produce?

NASS also reported alfalfa hay yields of 3.36 tons per acre, but remember that this does not include haylage, so a reasonable working alfalfa hay yield figure is 4.5 tons per acre.

New grass should be watered twice a day (or more under dryer conditions) to keep the top two inches of soil moist at all times. Water daily until all of the grass seeds have germinated, then it will be ready to begin a regular watering schedule.

How often should I irrigate my pasture?

What are the most water intensive crops?

Water-Intensive Crops

• Rice.
• Soybeans.
• Wheat.
• Sugarcane.
• Cotton.
• Alfalfa.
• Pasture.

How many tons of hay per acre is dry?

This hay may reach an equilibrium at a higher moisture level dependent upon the rate of preservative applied and storage conditions. As an example of hay dryness, an “as is” yield of 4.0 tons per acre is equal to 3.4 “dry” tons per acre when the moisture is 15%.

How much water does an acre of alfalfa need?

Over the entire alfalfa growing season (from dormancy break in February or March to the first frost in mid-October), however, ET totals 45 to 50 inches and should produce 8 tons of dry hay (or more) per acre. The water-use curves shown in Figure 1 represent average daily values and do not show seasonal variations created by harvests (cuts).

How much Hay does it take to feed a cow?

Figure 20 pounds of hay, dry weight, per day, per animal. Plus, if those are milk cows, they will need grain. If there is green grass, they will eat less hay. Your fields might yield anywhere from 4 tons to 1/2 ton per cutting.

How big does a hay field need to be?

My goal: plant a sustainable hay field for 1 horse (Canadian) and 2 cows (Jersey) within about 5-10 acres. My location: Canada, BC, Vancouver Island. Average 45″ rain per year. Mild climate. Hay type: Orchard grass, but not set in stone. Questions: how many pounds of seed are required per acre? How many pounds does it yield per year?

How many bales of hay do you get per acre?

Each acre requires 70 bales of straw at 35 pounds each and approximately 35 bales if they weigh 74 pounds. So if you’re covering an area of 10 acres, you need 700 35-pound bales and 350 74-pound bales.

How many round bales of hay produced per acre?

Simply so, how many round bales can you get per acre? But rule of thumb is that one tonne of hay is equal to approx 40/45 bales or 4 to 5 round bales and one acre would yield approx two tonnes of hay .

How much does a square bale of hay cost?

The average square hay bale is going to range anywhere from $3 to $10 per bale. The most common bails include round and square, and the costs will depend on the geographical location, the seller, type and time of year. When buying, you will either purchase by the bale or by the ton.

How much does a roll of hay cost?

Those rolls of hay are called “round bales.”. The price varies depending on the kind of hay (grass or legume), its quality and on the supply/demand in the region where it’s being sold. A quick search suggests that a round bale typically weighs around 1200 lbs and currently sells for $35 – 50 (grass hay costs less,…