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| Link to Report/Website | suscon.org |
| Document Upload (Optional) | Alfalfa-Guidance-Crop-HealthRecharge-TO6.pdf |
| Full Description Text Body | *Alfalfa: Guidance for Protecting Crop Health During On-Farm Recharge* is a two-page resource designed to help growers evaluate how much recharge water to apply and for how long while protecting their crop’s health. Released in August 2026 by the Flood-MAR Network’s Recharge & Crop Health Action Team, with Sustainable Conservation and the California Department of Water Resources as key partners, the sheet combines practical considerations, modeled guidance, and field observations. “Alfalfa Guidance” is part of a seven-crop guidance series covering alfalfa, almonds, annual crops, pasture, pistachios, vineyards, and walnuts. The document explains how crop growth stage, root-zone oxygen, temperature, soil texture, and infiltration and percolation rates influence recharge suitability and crop health risks. A comparison table highlights lower- and higher-risk conditions, including dormant versus actively growing crops, cooler versus warmer temperatures, and freely draining versus restrictive soils. A recharge planning table presents modeled maximum daily water application rates for five-day winter flooding events, organized by soil type, Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index (SAGBI) rating, and water delivery turnout size. It pairs modeled minimum dry-down periods with shorter periods observed in the field, helping growers understand the range of conditions that may affect recharge management. The guidance emphasizes that model results are a starting point and should be used alongside site-specific assessments and monitoring of crop and field conditions before, during, and after recharge. A QR code connects readers to additional resources, including a recharge efficiency calculator, recharge methods manual, and relevant research. Intended primarily for alfalfa growers and farm managers, the sheet is also useful to agronomists, crop advisors, and technical assistance providers supporting on-farm recharge. |
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