Alfalfa suits a water-challenged future
The current drought in the West has likely had no greater impact on other agricultural entities than on alfalfa, according to Dan Putnam, the longtime extension forage agronomist with the University of California in Davis. … Regulatory curtailments of water supplies are also a major concern. Putnam tends to take the path of evaluating the water challenges and then looking for alfalfa opportunities. Said another way, he’s a glass half-full individual. In 2021, about 50% of the alfalfa in the West was impacted by drought. Irrigated alfalfa comprises almost 50% of U.S. alfalfa production, and it’s often the highest water user in many of the Western states.