Dealing With Hail-Damaged Forage Crops

University of Minnesota Extension Forage Agronomist Craig Sheaffer says it is important to assess the damage done to the alfalfa crop after a hail event before deciding how to proceed. “If alfalfa is within two weeks of harvest and has 50 percent or more of the stems damaged, but is lodged, it’s probably best to give it a few days to stand back up, then harvest.” In other scenarios, the best practice would be to harvest immediately to get the crop set up for the next harvest.