Can someone help us?

[btfo_zy]

My brother and I are mapping out our alfalfa crop in our 124acre field with pivot irrigation. We're arguing about how much we can get out of it. Could we even get 100 small square bales per acre if everything goes perfectly? I'm thinking something like 36 bales is more realistic, but my brother thinks we can get more. Is hitting that higher number even doable?

 

[Full3r]

100 small square bales per acre would be extremely optimistic. Under ideal conditions, most growers see somewhere around 30 to 40 bales per acre or thereabout for a good alfalfa stand, depending on yield and cutting frequency. Hitting numbers much higher usually requires perfect soil, fertility, irrigation, and weather, not impossible, but definitely rare

 

[Brad Pith]

@btfo_zy I kinda agree with @Full3r , even with perfect conditions and multiple cuttings, most alfalfa fields max out closer to 35 to 45 small square bales per acre. Your estimate of 36 bales is probably closer to reality, anything higher would be the exception rather than the rule

 

[CubMaple]

assuming 4 tons of dry matter/acre, that's about 200 small square bales if they're ~40–60 lb each. Folks on forums say 60–120 bales per acre vary depending on moisture and soil. So yeah, you might get around 100, but only if conditions are top shelf.

 

[woodyshin111]

You mean tons, right? 4-6 tons per acre, which is about 80-120 big squares. Way more realistic than trying to deal with 100 small squares.

 

[bennyboi_]

My brother and I are mapping out our alfalfa crop in our 124acre field with pivot irrigation. We're arguing about how much we can get out of it. Could we even get 100 small square bales per acre if everything goes perfectly? I'm thinking something like 36 bales is more realistic, but my brother thinks we can get more. Is hitting that higher number even doable?

No way you're getting 100 bales per cut. That's like 5000lbs each time, or over 15 tons an acre every year. Even for alfalfa, that's impossible.