Date of Award:

5-1955

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Economics

Department name when degree awarded

Agricultural Economics

Committee Chair(s)

V. L. Israelsen

Committee

V. L. Israelsen

Abstract

Alfalfa is the most important forage crop in the United States and a crop vital to the livestock industry. It is the ideal to which other hay crops are compared. In terms of total digestable nutrients and as an economical source of these nutrients, it is without equal. Other features in which alfalfa excels over other hay crops as a forage are: high yield, palatability, high protein and calcium content, and value as a source of vitamins A and D (4, p. 340). In addition it has great value in soil conservation practices for controlling erosion losses and nitrogen depletion. It also fits well in crop rotation plans. In Utah alfalfa is grown on more acres than any other crop except wheat (11).

Back of the alfalfa acreage in the United States is the alfalfa seed industry. It provides the basic source by which the alfalfa acreage is maintained. Alfalfa seed is of two-fold importance to agricultural residents of Utah. It serves as the source of seed for Utah and many other states, and also it is the primary source of income to many farmers and a supplementary income for many others. Cash farm income from alfalfa seed normally ranks in fourth or fifth place among the field crops in Utah annually.

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