Traffic damage and soil compaction can reduce alfalfa yield and quality.

Although field traffic and soil compaction from animals or machinery is unavoidable it can be managed to lessen the impact on your alfalfa yield and quality.

Damage Caused by Compaction and Traffic

• decrease in water infilltration
• Increased water runoff
• increase in root diseases
• alfalfa crown damage
• depleted root reserves from replacing damaged regrowth

Tips to Minimize Damage

• Don’t graze on wet soils
• Strategically place water source when grazing alfalfa
• Increase the amount of organic matter in soil
• Increase the number of axles to distribute weight
• Use wider tires to distribute weight
• Load at the edge of the field

For more helpful information to minimize soil compaction please watch the video below.

Additional Resources

• Alfalfa Management Videos
• Alfalfa Webinars
• Resources