| When | Routine | Occasional |
| Early season throught first cutting | Population counts (crowns per square foot), weed assessments; alfalfa weevil, winter kill crown rot (established stands); seedling diseases, establishment problems (new seedings); watch for "occasional" pest. | Alfalfa snout beetle, Phytophthora root rot, Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, leaf spots, cutworm, boron deficiency |
| Immediately after first cutting | Population counts (crowns per square foot), alfalfa weevil; watch for "occasional" pests | Downy mildew, Phytophthora root rot, Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, leaf spots |
| First to second cutting | Potato leafhopper; watch for "occasional" pests | Alfalfa weevil, Phytophthora root rot, Sclerotinia crown and stem rot, leaf spots |
| Second to last cutting | Potato leafhopper, watch for "occasional" pest | Leaf spots, anthracnose, Verticillium wilt, summer black stem |
| After last cutting | Weed assessments, population counts (crowns per square foot), soil sampling; watch for "occasional" pests | Alfalfa snout beetle-stressed plants, Sclerotinia crown and stem rot |