Increased Forage Production during Alfalfa Rotation Years in Johnson Canyon, Utah. Biological Control of Scotch and Bull Thistle on Disturbed Alfalfa Pastures

Increased Forage Production during Alfalfa Rotation Years in Johnson Canyon, Utah. Biological Control of Scotch and Bull Thistle on Disturbed Alfalfa Pastures

Summary

A shortened growing period and cooler temperatures in this area south of Bryce Canyon mean that when oats are planted for one of every five or six years before an alfalfa field is plowed and replanted, grazing of the hay fields by livestock is limited by the need to get a new crop in. This producer hopes to determine whether a different grain such as triticale would be a better intermediate crop and whether oats could be interplanted as a cover crop in the springtime, perhaps reducing weed production and increasing yields. Eradication of two troublesome weeds, such as Scotch thistle and bull thistle, will also be attempted using a defoliating beetle.