Start Date
2-23-2006 9:00 AM
Description
Commercial alfalfa breeding companies have continued to make great strides in the development of new varieties with unique traits. New traits include Roundup Ready®, potato leafhopper resistance, hybrids, lodging resistance, rapid regrowth, higher quality, resistance to new diseases, and more… I will address some of these new developments in the following pages. In addition, producers often ask the question: “Are improved varieties really worth the higher seed cost?” Dr. Jimmy Henning recently summarized 24 location years of Kentucky alfalfa yield data and found that the best 5 varieties in each test yielded 0.9 tons/A higher than the checks. Over a 5 year stand life this conservatively translates into more that $400 added profit. Similar to results summarized by Dr. Dan Putnam in California with greater than $400 profit for improved varieties over a 3 year stand life. New varieties can make a difference!
Included in
New Alfalfa Varieties
Commercial alfalfa breeding companies have continued to make great strides in the development of new varieties with unique traits. New traits include Roundup Ready®, potato leafhopper resistance, hybrids, lodging resistance, rapid regrowth, higher quality, resistance to new diseases, and more… I will address some of these new developments in the following pages. In addition, producers often ask the question: “Are improved varieties really worth the higher seed cost?” Dr. Jimmy Henning recently summarized 24 location years of Kentucky alfalfa yield data and found that the best 5 varieties in each test yielded 0.9 tons/A higher than the checks. Over a 5 year stand life this conservatively translates into more that $400 added profit. Similar to results summarized by Dr. Dan Putnam in California with greater than $400 profit for improved varieties over a 3 year stand life. New varieties can make a difference!