FORAGE AND COVER CROP PLANTING GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS ALFALFA 4 - 14 FORAGE BLENDS 45 - 54 COVER CROPS 77 - 89 Cavalry DQ 5 Ultimate Hay Blend 46 Chicory 78 Armour RR 6 Premium Hay Blend 47 Kale 79 EnforceHT 7 Cattle Grazer Blend 48 Rapeseed 80 Fierce XT 8 Pasture Blend 49 Radish 81 LeafGuard XL 9 All Grass Forage Blend 50 Turnips 82 Viper HVXRR 10 Water - Way Blend 51 Corn Champion Blend 83 Triticale / Annual Ryegrass 52 Groundbuilder Radish 84 CLOVERS 15 - 31 Triticale / Pea Blend 53 Beanbuilder Blend 85 Medium Red Clover 16 Oat / Pea Blend 54 Winter Mix 86 Gallant Red Clover 17 Oat Radish Blend 87 Alsike Clover 18 SUMMER ANNUALS 55 - 70 Annual Ryegrass 88 Crimson Clover 19 Sorghum Sudangrass 56 Cereal Rye / Winter Rye 89 Ladino Clover 20 Sweet Six BMR 57 White Clover 21 Sweet - Forever BMR 58 Annual Clover 22 Forage Sorghum 59 Sweet Clover 23 Pearl Millet 60 Plowdown Clover Mixes 24 Milo / Grain Sorghum 61 Birdsfoot Trefoil 25 M6313 62 Crown Vetch 26 M6885 63 Hairy Vetch 27 German Foxtail Millet 67 Korean Lespedeza 28 Japanese Millet 68 Winter Peas 29 Teff Grass 69 Spring Peas 30 Buckwheat 70 Cowpeas 31 CEREAL GRAINS 71 - 76 FORAGE GRASSES 32 - 44 Oats 72 Orchardgrass 33 Barley 73 Forage Tall Fescues 34 Cereal Rye / Winter Rye 74 Smooth Bromegrass 35 Triticale 75 Meadow Bromegrass 36 Spelt 76 Meadow Fescues 37 Annual Ryegrass 38 Italian Ryegrass 39 Perennial Ryegrass 40 Festulolium 41 Timothy 42 Forage KY Bluegrass 43 Reed Canarygrass 44 ALFALFA Alfalfa is the fourth most widely grown crop in the United States. It is high-yielding, high-quality, and very persistent once established. It is utilized by dairy, beef, horse, and other livestock industries. It can be grown alone or mixed with grasses, such as orchardgrass, timothy, brome, or fescue. It is high in forage quality, with crude protein levels ranging from 15% to 22%. Alfalfa grows best on soils that are well drained, high in fertility, and have a pH ranging from 6.7 to 7.0. At Beck’s, we continue to work with the finest alfalfa companies to bring you the latest traits and best genetics for your farming operation. All elite alfalfa is treated with Beck’s Escalate® yield enhancement system which includes a micronutrient package, a biological, and Apron XL® LS. Some years the weather does not cooperate with growing alfalfa. That’s why Beck’s offers a one-time replant policy on all of our elite alfalfa varieties during stand establishment. If you think you may need to replant, a Beck’s representative can help you decide if replant is the best option and Beck’s will provide the seed free of charge. CAVALRY DQ • Fall Dormancy: 4.0 • Disease Resistance: 30 • Winterhardiness: 2.0 • Bred for outstanding yield potential while delivering superior forage quality • Dairy-quality (DQ) alfalfa with multi-leaf expression • High-quality forage attributes comparable to similar non-GMO reduced lignin alfalfas 2-Year Yield Comparison* Disease Resistance Index Variety Tons/A. Disease Resistance Level CavalryDQ 9.70 Anthracnose HR Fierce 9.59 Aphanomyces Race 1 HR Pioneer 55Q27 9.56 Bacterial Wilt HR FSG426 9.08 Fusarium Wilt HR HybriForce 3400 9.04 Phytophthora HR * Michigan State University Alfalfa Trail Verticillium Wilt HR Seeding Information Agronomic Characteristics Drill Rate 18 - 22 lb./A. Recovery Fast Broadcast Rate 25 lb./A. + Root Type Tap Depth 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. Standability Excellent Planting Dates Apr. - May, Aug. - Sept. Forage Yield Excellent Forage Quality Excellent Variety NDFD Tons/A. Lignin RFQ Milk/Ton Milk/A. CavalryDQ 41.9 6.75 6.2 169 3,354 22,637 Rebound 6.0 38.4 6.49 6.4 155 3,297 21,397 Pioneer 55Q27 38.7 6.47 6.5 147 3,228 20,885 Hi-Gest 360 41.9 6.31 6.0 151 3,238 20,602 Hybriforce 3400 41.1 6.32 6.4 146 3,238 20,466 WL 365HQ 41.7 6.55 6.3 148 3,233 21,173 ALFALFA 5 ARMOUR RR • Fall Dormancy: 4.2 • Winterhardiness: 2.2 • Disease Resistance: 30 • An excellent yielding, high forage quality Roundup Ready® alfalfa that can be planted on the majority of soil types across the Midwest • Aphanomyces Race 1 and 2 resistance provides root rot protection for optimal stand • Very high-yielding variety under 3, 4, and 5-cut harvest management • A great weed control option paired with an excellent agronomic variety Yield Comparison* Disease Resistance Index Variety Tons/A. Disease Resistance Level Armour RR 7.58 Anthracnose HR 55V50 7.18 Aphanomyces Race 1 and 2 HR WL 355RR 6.66 Bacterial Wilt HR HybriForce 2400 6.70 Fusarium Wilt HR Liberator 6.39 Phytophthora HR Legacy 449 APH 2 6.69 Verticillium Wilt HR 54R02 6.37 * 4-Cut Total Seeding Information Agronomic Characteristics Drill Rate 18 - 22 lb./A. Recovery Fast Broadcast Rate 25 lb./A. + Root Type Tap Depth 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. Standability Excellent Planting Dates April - May, Aug. - Sept. Forage Yield Excellent Forage Quality Excellent 2-Year Yield Comparison Armour RR 55V50 WL 355RR HybriForce 2400 Liberator Legacy 449 13 13.5 14 14.5 15 15.5 Tons/A. ALFALFA 6 ENFORCE HT • Fall Dormancy: 5.0 • Disease Resistance: 30 • Winterhardiness: 1.9 • High-ton genetics with outstanding yield potential • Superior stand persistence and very fast recovery after harvest • Handles wheel traffic exceptionally well • Early spring green-up and later fall growth to maximize the harvest season Yield Comparison* Disease Resistance Index Variety Tons/A. Disease Resistance Level EnforceHT 7.47 Anthracnose HR 54R02 6.67 Aphanomyces Race 1 HR Consistency 4.1 RR 6.43 Bacterial Wilt HR Attention II 6.04 Fusarium Wilt HR HybriForce 2400 7.13 Phytophthora HR 54Q32 5.96 Verticillium Wilt HR * 4-Cut Total Seeding Information Agronomic Characteristics Drill Rate 18 - 22 lb./A. Recovery Very Fast Broadcast Rate 25 lb./A. + Root Type Tap Depth 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. Standability Good Planting Dates April - May, Aug. - Sept. Forage Yield Excellent Forage Quality Good 3-Year Yield Comparison EnforceHT 54V46 HybriForce 2400 Attention II 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Tons/A. ALFALFA 7 FIERCE XT • Fall Dormancy: 4.0 • Disease Resistance: 30 • Winterhardiness: 2.0 • High-yielding alfalfa bred for the toughest soils • Excellent disease package with Aphanomyces Race 1, 2, and 3 resistance • Exceptional stand persistence with fast regrowth • A high-quality forage variety paired with a very fine stem • Branch root Yield Comparison* Disease Resistance Index Variety Tons/A. Disease Resistance Level Fierce XT 6.39 Anthracnose HR WL 365HQ 5.66 Aphanomyces Race 1 and 2 HR Rebound6XT 5.57 Aphanomyces Race 3 MR 55Q27 5.36 Bacterial Wilt HR Hi-Gest 360 4.94 Fusarium Wilt HR Hybriforce 3400 4.79 Phytophthora HR L-448HVXRR HarvXtra 4.62 Verticillium Wilt HR *2019 Harvest Evansville, WI - Seeded April 2016 Seeding Information Agronomic Characteristics Drill Rate 18 - 22 lb./A. Recovery Fast Broadcast Rate 25 lb./A. + Root Type Tap, Branch Depth 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. Standability Good Planting Dates April - May, Aug. - Sept. Forage Yield Excellent Forage Quality Excellent Variety CP NDFD Tons/A. Lignin RFQ Milk/Ton Milk/A. Fierce XT 21.3 55.0 7.16 6.6 175 3,392 24,288 Hi-Gest 360 21.8 51.8 6.57 6.3 176 3,356 22,049 Rebound6XT 22.0 51.5 6.63 6.2 170 3,309 21,939 55Q27 20.5 50.5 7.15 6.8 159 3,263 23,333 WL 365HQ 21.2 50.1 6.59 7.0 159 3,252 21,434 Hybriforce 3400 21.5 50.6 6.95 7.1 155 3,227 22,430 ALFALFA 8 LEAFGUARD XL • Fall Dormancy: 4.0 • Disease Resistance: 30 • Winterhardiness: 2.0 • A true “no spray” variety with improved yield and leafhopper protection • Dark green, fine stemmed, and highly palatable • Great agronomics and high-yielding PLH product • Excellent disease rating and winterhardiness to ensure a long, productive stand life • Newest leafhopper genetics Disease Resistance Index Seeding Information * Disease Resistance Level Drill Rate 18 - 22 lb./A. Anthracnose HR Broadcast Rate 25 lb./A. + Aphanomyces Race 1 HR Depth 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. Bacterial Wilt HR Planting Dates April - May, Aug. - Sept. Fusarium Wilt HR Phytophthora HR Verticillium Wilt HR Potato Leafhopper HR Agronomic Characteristics Recovery Fast Root Type Tap Standability Excellent Forage Yield Good Forage Quality Good ALFALFA 9 VIPER HVXRR • Fall Dormancy: 4.0 • Disease Resistance: 30 • Winterhardiness: 1.5 • HarvXtra® with Roundup Ready® technology for increased harvest flexibility without reducing forage quality • Premium forage quality in a 3- or 4-cut schedule • An excellent weed control option both during stand establishment and throughout the life of the stand Yield Comparison* Disease Resistance Index Variety Tons/A. Disease Resistance Level Viper HVXRR 8.32 Anthracnose HR 54R02 7.77 Aphanomyces Race 1 HR 54V09 7.40 Bacterial Wilt HR WL 355RR 7.22 Fusarium Wilt HR Consistency 4.10RR 6.92 Phytophthora HR Attention II 6.72 Verticillium Wilt HR *4-Cut Total Seeding Information Agronomic Characteristics Drill Rate 18 - 22 lb./A. Recovery Fast Broadcast Rate 25 lb./A. + Root Type Tap Depth 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. Standability Excellent Planting Dates April - May, Aug. - Sept. Forage Yield Excellent Forage Quality Excellent 2-Year Yield Comparison Viper HVRR 54R02 54V09 WL 355RR Attention II Consistancy 4.10RR 14 14.5 15 15.5 16 16.5 Tons/A.