The University of Georgia Research Foundation received a $750,024.03 Project Grant from the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems Program (CFDA 10.330), awarded September 15, 2025, with a completion date of September 14, 2028. This research and extension initiative quantifies the performance expectations and economic benefits of using alfalfa baleage as a primary feed source for beef cattle, particularly during backgrounding and heifer development phases in the Southern United States. The project addresses producer concerns regarding adoption barriers—including cost, management challenges, and access to cheaper alternatives—by generating practical performance data and decision-support tools that demonstrate how alfalfa integration can reduce input costs and improve profitability in beef cattle operations.
The award supports three primary deliverables: quantifying animal performance outcomes when growing beef animals utilize alfalfa as a primary feed source; evaluating the economic benefits of alfalfa integration in the region; and expanding educational outreach beyond field technicians to industry point-of-sale contacts to enhance system efficacy and knowledge adoption. Sub-awards to Auburn University (awarded March 24, 2026) and Clemson University (awarded January 6, 2026), both titled "Alfalfa IS for Beef Cattle," extend the research and extension delivery across regional expertise centers, enabling multi-institutional evaluation of alfalfa-based feeding systems and practical recommendations for Southern beef producers.