Farm Demo Results! Alfalfa Starts Flowering; First Harvest At 60 Days

Tomorrow, Oct. 8, we will make the first cut of the Alfalfa planted two months ago in a small experimental plot in Barangay Palkan, Polomolok, South Cotabato where we also planted Sorghum for grains production.
This will be our first harvest of the salad sprouts Alfalfa variety from seeds brought in a small pack by Filipino-American farmer-scientist Rocky French.
We will have our second cutting after 30 days and the third cutting after another 30 days before the plot is used by the DoleFil Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative for pineapple planting.
Of course, there had been success stories of Alfalfa planting in small plots in Mindanao, including one made by a goat farmer in Misamis Oriental, but the Alfalfa Propagation Experiment made by the Southseas Agri-Aqua Ventures, Inc., a small company which I, Rocky, former Senator Panfilo Lacson, Michael Ray Aquino and three other friends formed, will be the first attempt at planting it large scale.
Alfalfa is a very important feed material for cattle, goats, sheep and even rabbits at a young age.
An entry in the internet has this information on the importance of Alfalfa:
“Alfalfa is among the most important forage crops in the world. Also known as “The Forage Queen,” it is one the top five crops grown in the United States (the others are corn, soybean, wheat and cotton).
“Alfalfa grows in most of the US. The largest producers include California, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota.
“According to research, the average annual yield of alfalfa in the US is approximately 3.35 tons per acre. Farmers often grow it with several other plants, including legumes and grasses.
“Alfalfa is frequently used in biomass energy production. Also, it fixes more nitrogen than any legume crop can. This allows farmers to grow other crops easier and reduce their reliance on expensive nitrogen fertilizers.
“Alfalfa makes excellent animal feed. Not only is it a rich source of minerals and vitamins, it also contains up to 22% of crude protein. It contains vitamins such as A, E, K, D, B1, C, B2, B12, U, B6 and acids such as folic acid, panthothanic acid, biotin, niacin and inocitole. In addition to these, alfalfa has high levels of calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, copper, chlorine, magnesium, iron, boron, manganese and cobalt.
“Alfalfa is used to feed several animals, including horses, cattle, chickens, turkey and sheep. Feeding animals alfalfa hay helps produce better wool, meat, milk and other products.
“The benefits of feeding alfalfa to dairy animals include the following:
· It yields more crude protein and soluble proteins than any other sources.
· It reduces the amount of cud that cows need to chew.
· It increases the capacity of buffering.
· It promotes fast digestion of NDF (neutral detergent fiber).”
The Alfalfa Pilot Plot that we have in Polomolok is just about 100-square meters and while it may not give us conclusive data on whether growing it in Mindanao would be economically viable, the mere fact that it grew and produced flowers is enough reason for us to pursue the experiment.
A successful Alfalfa growing program by SAAV, Inc. could contribute greatly to the development of our Cattle, Dairy Cow and Dairy Goat Programs in the country.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#farmisthebestlaboratory!
#FarmingIsAppliedScience!