University of California Alfalfa Symposia
Alfalfa Leaf Image 2022 World Alfalfa Congress Alfalfa Leaf Image
November 14 - 17, 2022 - San Diego, CA
Proceedings & Video
2022 World Alfalfa Congress Symposium Proceedings - Complete
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Sponsors

The organizers of the 2022 World Alfalfa Congress wish to express their heartfelt thanks to the many sponsors of this year's conference.

2022 World Alfalfa Congress Sponsors
See all organizers here.

Hosted by: California Alfalfa & Forage Association and National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance

Congress Chairs: Dan Putnam, University of California, Beth Nelson, National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance, Nicole Helms, California Alfalfa & Forage Assoication

 


DAY ONE - Monday, November 14, 2022


Workshop I. Irrigation & Water Mangement
(Moderator: Khaled Bali, University of California Kearney Research and Extension Center)

8:00am Importance of Irrigation in Alfalfa Daniel Putnam, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
8:20am Principles of Evapotranspiration & How to Measure Jason Kelley, USDA-ARS - Parlier, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
8:50am Flow Monitoring Methods for Better Irrigation Management Larry Forero, UCCE - Redding, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
9:20am Principles of Scheduling Irrigation & Soil Moisture Monitoring Troy Peters, Washington State University - Prosser, WA USA Video Slides (pdf)
10:30am Designing Irrigation Systems Considering Water Supply, Soil Types, & Economics Dustin Larsen, Wish - Pocatello, ID USA Video Slides (pdf)
11:30am Advances in Surface Irrigation Management in Alfalfa Khaled Bali, University of California Kearney Research & Extension Center - Parlier, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
1:00pm Advances in Sprinkler Irrigation in Alfalfa Matt Yost, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA Video Slides (pdf)
1:30pm Optimizing Drip Irrigation in Alfalfa Dominic Rossini, Netafim America - Fresno, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
2:00pm Deficit Irrigation Strategies Ali Montazar, University of California Cooperative Extension - Holtville, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
2:30pm Salinity Management Strategies Sharon Benes, Fresno State University - Fresno, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
3:30pm Alfalfa Yield/Quality Prediction Tool Isaya Kisekka, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
3:45pm Troubleshooting Irrigation Systems Matt Yost, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA Video Slides (pdf)
4:15pm Innovations in Irrigation Technology
Using Telemetry to Manage Irrigations Tom Menne, Menne Ranch - Fresno, CA USA Video
Use of Effluent Water through SDI Domonic Rossini, Netafim - Fresno, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
Automation of Surface Irrigation Peter Moller, Rubicon Water - Imperial, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
Sustainable Water Management Software Fred Darland, Darland Water - Mendocino, CA USA Video
Wheel Lines for the 21st Century Alejandra Alvarez, SWAN Systems - Fresno, CA USA Video
Water & Nutrient Management Dana Mohr, HydroSide Systems - Post Falls, ID USA Video
AI & Irrigation: What's Next in Water Management Sean Boyd, Prospera Technologies - Austin, TX USA Video

Workshop II. Pest Management
(Moderator: Deborah Samac, USDA-ARS)

8:00am Principles of Integrated Pest Management in Alfalfa Rachael Long, University of California Cooperative Extension - Woodland, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
8:30am Understanding the Agronomic Practices Impacting Pest Management Daniel Putnam, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
9:00am Weed Management in Alfalfa: Stand Establishment Earl Creech, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA Video Slides (pdf)
9:30am Weed Management in Alfalfa: Weed Control in Established Alfalfa Tom Getts, University of California Cooperative Extension - Susanville, CA USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
10:30am Weed ID & Herbicide Injury Corey Ransom, Earl Creech, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA Video Slides (pdf)
11:00am Key Alfalfa Diseases Deborah Samac, USDA-ARS - St. Paul, MN USA Video Slides (pdf)
11:30am Nematodes in Alfalfa Don Miller, Alforex Seeds/Corteva Agriscience - Nampa, ID USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
1:00pm Insects with Piercing-Sucking Mouthparts (Aphid Complex, Leafhoppers, Mites) Michael Rethwisch, University of California Cooperative Extension - Blythe, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
1:25pm Insects with Chewing Mouthparts (Alfalfa Weevil, Caterpillars, Grasshoppers) Kevin Wanner, Montana State University - Boseman, MT USA Video Slides (pdf)
1:50pm Strategies for Rodent Management Roger Baldwin, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
2:15pm Test Your Pest IQ Earl Creech, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA and Deborah Samac, USDA-ARS - St. Paul, MN USA Video
2:40pm From Lab to Label: Pesticide Development Jesse Richardson, Corteva Agriscience - Mesa, AZ USA
3:30pm Wind Tunnel Demonstration of Sprays Corey Ransom, Earl Creech, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA Video Slides (pdf)
4:00pm Diagnosing Problems in the Field Tim Hays - Lancaster, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
4:30pm Industry Updates
Corteva Crop Protection Tools for Alfalfa Stacey Swanson, Corteva Agriscience - Riverside, CA USA Video
Chitosan, Crop Input Tom Wood, Organisan - Carrolton, GA USA Video
Protec-T for Gopher Management in SDI Doug Larson, Ag Water Chemical - Fresno, CA USA Video

DAY TWO - Tuesday, November 15, 2022


Session I. Alfalfa in a Global Context
(Moderator: Dan Wiersma, Corteva Agriscience)

Panel Questions
8:20am Profitable Alfalfa Production Sustains the Environment Daniel Putnam, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
8:40am How Alfalfa Markets Work in North America Josh Callen, The Hoyt Report - Twin Falls, ID USA Video Slides (pdf)
9:00am Economics of World Forage Trade Dan Sumner, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
9:20am Challenges & Opportunities for Alfalfa Moving Forward Dennis Hancock, USDA-ARS, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center - Madison, WI USA Video Slides (pdf)

Session II. Alfalfa in an Ecological Context
(Moderator: Daniel Basigalup, INTA)

Panel Questions
10:30am Setting the Scene of Alfalfa Ecosystem Services at Rotation & Territory Levels: Toward a Better Use of Alfalfa Christian Huyghe, INRAE - Paris, France Video Slides (pdf)
10:50am Cropping Alfalfa for Biodiversity Restoration Above & Belowground Marisol Berti, North Dakota State University - Fargo, ND USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
11:10am Alfalfa for Better Management of Farm Scale Nitrogen Yingjun Zhang, China Agricultural University - Beijing, China Video Slides (pdf)
11:30am Ecosystem Services of Perennial Forages Priscila Pinto, University of Wisconsin - Madison, WI USA Video Slides (pdf)

Session III (Concurrent). Forage Quality & Utilization
(Moderator: Dave Taysom, Dairyland Laboratories)

Panel Questions
1:30pm Defining Quality in Alfalfa (Deconstructing the Plant) David Weakley, Forage Genetics International - Gray Summit, MO USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
1:50pm Linking Forage Quality with Economic Value Bill Weiss, The Ohio State University - Wooster, OH USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
2:10pm Opportunities for Global Standardization of Quality Measurement Ralph Ward, Cumberland Valley Analytical Services - Waynesboro, PA USA Video Slides (pdf)

Session IV (Concurrent). Genetics, Biotech, & Genomics
(Moderator: Glenda Gehl, Forage Genetics International)

1:30pm New Horizons in Alfalfa Improvements Charlie Brummer, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
1:40pm Gene Editing in Alfalfa Zeng-Yu Wang, Qingdao Agricultural University - Qingdao, China
2:00pm Genomic Selection for Alfalfa Esteban Rios, University of Florida - Gainesville, FL USA
2:20pm Alfalfa Genome Sequencing Tao Wang, China Agricultural University - Beijing, China Video Slides (pdf)
2:40pm Lightning Talks Slides (pdf)
What Have We Learned from 20 Years of Breeding for Alfalfa Root System Architecture? Zhanyou Xu, USDA-ARS - St. Paul, MN USA Video
Salinity Effects on the Performance of Alfalfa Populations in a Semiarid Environment of Argentina Monica Cornacchione, INTA - Santiago del Estero, Argentina
Salinity Tolerance & Forage Quality Comparison for Four Varieties of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Victoria De Leon, California State University - Fresno, CA USA

Session VI (Concurrent). Modelling, Growth, & Physiology
(Moderator: Charlie Brummer, University of California, Davis)

Panel Questions
3:30pm Modelling Growth & Quality of the Alfalfa-Livestock System Derrick Moot, Lincoln University - Christchurch, New Zealand Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
3:50pm Simulating Alfalfa Growth Dynamics of Fall Dormancy Classes Across Environments Ken Boote, University of Florida - Gainesville, FL USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
4:10pm Modeling Alfalfa Yield Response to Limited Water Isaya Kisekka, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
4:30pm Lightning Talks Slides (pdf)
Prospects for Improving Alfalfa Yield Using Genomic- & Phenomic-Based Breeding Matt Francis, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video
Evaluating Alfalfa Salinity Tolerance in the Field: What are the Challenges? Sharon Benes, California State University - Fresno, CA USA Video
Surface Irrigation Using Cloud-Based Automation, Sensors, & Data Analytics Peter Moller, Rubicon Water - Imperial, CA USA Video
Remote Sensing-Based Estimation of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Forage Yield & Quality Under Drought Using Multispectral & LiDAR Imagery Umair Gull, University of Agriculture - Faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan Video

Session VI (Concurrent). Soil Health & Fertility
(Moderator: Charlie Brummer, University of California, Davis)

Panel Questions
3:30pm Economics of Alfalfa Fertilization Under Inflated Hay & Fertilizer Prices Steve Norberg, Washington State University - Pasco, WA USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
3:50pm Alfalfa Response to P & K in Association with Calcium, Magnesium, & Harvest Time Anowar Islam, University of Wyoming - Laramie, WY USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
4:10pm Quantifying N Credits of Alfalfa in Rotation Kim Cassida, Michigan State University - Lansing, MI USA Paper (pdf)
4:30pm Lightning Talks Slides (pdf)
Attacking the Yield Plateau: Assessing Nutrient Status of Kentucky Alfalfa Stands William Fleming, University of Kentucky - Princeton, KY USA Video
Can a Second Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria Add Value to Alfalfa? John Squire, Azotic Technologies - South Jordan, UT USA Video
Impact of Fertilizer Price & Hay Price on Optimum Rate of Phosphorus & Potassium Fertilization of Irrigated Alfalfa Steve Norberg, Washington State University - Pasco, WA USA Video

DAY THREE - Wednesday, November 16, 2022


Session VII. Water Issues & Utilization Opportunities with Alfalfa
(Moderator: Deborah Samac, USDA-ARS)

Panel Questions
8:00am Facing Realities of Water Limitations in the Western US Daniel Keppen, Family Farm Alliance - Klamath Falls, OR USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
8:20am When You Just Don't Have Enough: Producing Irrigated Alfalfa Under Deficit Conditions Matt Yost, Utah State University - Logan, UT USA Video Slides (pdf)
8:40am Opportunities for Alfalfa Protein Extraction Jo Heuschele, USDA-ARS - St. Paul, MN USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
9:10am Separating Clover & Alfalfa Leaves During Harvest to Provide Protein for Pigs or Poultry Heinz Bernhardt, Technical University of Munich - Munich, Germany Video Slides (pdf)
9:30pm Lightning Talks
Development of New Alfalfa Products in Combination with Almond Hulls for Emerging Domestic & International Markets Katherine Swanson, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
Crop Water Productivity of Alfalfa Under Different Cutting Schedules Abdelmoneim Mohamed, University of California Kearney Research & Extension Center - Parlier, CA USA

Session VIII. Forages, Climate, & Soil Health
(Moderator: Christian Huyghe, INRAE)

Panel Questions
10:30am Climate Change & Forage Production Alan Rotz, USDA-ARS - University Park, PA USA Video Paper (pdf)
10:50am Can Alfalfa Improve Soil Carbon Storage? Josh Gamble, USDA-ARS - St. Paul, MN USA Video Slides (pdf)
11:10am Soil Health & Biological Benefits of Alfalfa Rotations Nicole Tautges, Michael Fields Institute - East Troy, WI USA Video Slides (pdf)
11:30am Tackling Realities of Animal Carbon Emissions & Its Link to Forage Carbon Cycling Frank Mitloehner, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
11:50am Lightning Talks Slides (pdf)
Soil Health in Alfalfa Receiving Full & Deficit Irrigation Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, University of California Cooperative Extension - Stockton, CA USA Video
Microbial Community Analysis for Identification of Novel Alfalfa Pathogens Deborah Samac, USDA-ARS - St. Paul, MN USA Video

Session IX (Concurrent). World Trade in Alfalfa & Hay Crops
(Moderator: Mike Davidson, Sage Hill Northwest Inc)

1:30pm Reviewing Export Statistics Dan Sumner, University of California - Davis, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
1:45pm Regulatory Perspectives on World Trade John Szczepanski, U.S. Forage Export Council - Portland, OR USA Video Slides (pdf)
2:00pm Forage Trade Perspectives Panel Bill Plourd, El Toro Export - San Diego, CA USA Video Slides (pdf) Jose Miguel Ochoa, Alfeed - Huesca, Spain Video Slides (pdf) Rommel Castellanos, Global Consultant Video Pierre Begoc, Désialis - Paris, France Video Jason Liu, Consultant - Beijing, China Video Zhuomeng Yang, Beijing HDR Trading - Beijing, China Video

Session X (Concurrent). Alfalfa Systems & Grazing
(Moderator: Krista Lea, University of Kentucky)

Panel Questions
1:30pm Alfalfa Grazing Systems in Argentina Daniel Basigalup, INTA - Argentina Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
1:50pm Integrated Systems for Harvest Management Jennifer Tucker, University of Georgia - Tifton, GA USA Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
2:10pm Intercropping Alfalfa with Corn John Grabber, USDA-ARS, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center - Madison, WI USA Paper (pdf)
2:30pm Lightning Talks
Producer & Consumer Survey: Increasing Alfalfa Hay Sales to Horse Owners Krista Lea, University of Kentucky - Lexington, KY USA Video Slides (pdf)
Effects of Irrigation Frequency & Cutting Schedules on Yield, Crop Water Productivity, & Forage Quality of Alfalfa Variety in California's Central Valley Sultan Begna, USDA-ARS - Parlier, CA USA Video Slides (pdf)
Alfalfa Planting Date Influences Nutritive Value in the Semiarid US Southwest Leonard Lauriault, New Mexico State University - Tucumcari, NM USA Video Slides (pdf)
Long-Term Effects of Fall Dormancy & Grazing Frequency on Forage Production & Consumption of Lucerne Sabrina Miri, Gentos SA - Chacabuco, Buenos Aires Argentina Video
Long-Term Effects of Fall Dormancy & Grazing Frequency on Root Biomass of Lucerne Pasturese Federico Sciarretta, Gentos SA - Chacabuco, Buenos Aires Argentina Video Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)

Session XI (Concurrent). Breeding Alfalfa for the Future
(Moderator: Virginia Moore, Cornell University)

3:30pm Alfalfa Breeding with Implementation of Molecular Tools Bernadette Julier, INRAE - Lusignan, France Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
3:50pm Breeding for Alfalfa Compatibility with Corn Heathcliffe Riday, USDA-ARS - Madison, WI USA Paper (pdf)
4:10pm Utilizing Wild Relatives in Alfalfa Breeding Alan Humphries, SARDI - Adelaide, Australia Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
4:30pm Breeding Objectives for the Future Panel Charlie Brummer, University of California - Davis, CA USA Steve Damon, Corteva Agriscience - West Salem, WI USA Joe Bouton, University of Georgia - Athens, GA USA Federico Sciarretta, Gentos - Buenos Aires, Argentina Xuefeng Ma, Forage Genetics International - USA

Session XII (Concurrent). Innovations in Forage Equipment
(Moderator: Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin, Madison)

Panel Questions
3:30pm Quantifying Machinery Traffic During Alfalfa Harvest & Assessing Yield & Forage Quality Impact Brian Luck, University of Wisconsin - Madison, WI USA
3:50pm Innovative Method of Drying Hay Ed Shaw, Agri Green Enterprises Inc and I Q Forage ltd - Carstairs, AB Canada Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
4:10pm Using a DewPoint Steamer to Minimize Leaf Loss During Hay Baling Logan Staheli, Staheli West - Cedar City, UT USA Slides (pdf) Paper (pdf)
4:30pm Using NIRS Leaf Percentage Analysis to Determine Harvest Efficiency Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin - Madison, WI USA Slides (pdf)

DAY FOUR - Thursday, November 17, 2022


7:00am Field Tour Of Imperial Valley, CA This is one of the most fascinating agricultural areas in the world, and November will feature an active field season. Imperial Valley is a significant producer of winter vegetables, seeds for planting, fruit and nut crops, durum wheat for pasta production, dairy and livestock, alfalfa and grass hays. Discover how the diversity of low- and high-value crops interact to provide sustainable crop production. Products are shipped globally. The excess summer heat, water supply, salinity, and (often) difficult soils, challenge the skills of farmers. They have made it into one of the most productive desert crop production areas of the world, with gravity-fed irrigation systems.