Alfalfa stands face a wide range of challenges during winter - extreme cold, lack of snow cover, ice sheeting, saturated soils, and fall management factors can all influence how well a stand survives. Many producers discover in spring that parts of their field didn’t green up or that overall plant density is lower than expected. This is a common and well documented issue across the Upper Midwest, and it often results from environmental stress rather than grower error. To help you better understand why winterkill happens and what to do next, here are two highly useful Extension resources that cover causes, diagnosis, and next step forage planning.

1. Causes of Alfalfa Winterkill

Read here: Managing Stand Losses in Alfalfa Fields – Michigan State University Extension

2. Options When Winterkill Reduces Forage Supply

Read here: Emergency Forage Options – University of Wisconsin Extension