2004 Ohio Forage Performance Trials

Ohio State University Extension
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
The Ohio State University

Horticulture and Crop Science
Series 195
October 2004

Alfalfa

     Alfalfa has the highest combined yield and quality potential of any adapted perennial forage grown in Ohio. It is the state's largest single hay crop, being grown on about one-half of the total hay acres. Alfalfa requires well-drained soils with near-neutral pH (6.5-7.0) for greatest production and persistence. Alfalfa trials are initiated each year and data is collected for at least four years unless the stand becomes so depleted that further testing is no longer worthwhile; variety performance should be evaluated over several sites and years.

Guidelines for Selecting Alfalfa Varieties

    To capitalize on alfalfa's potential, select high-yielding varieties with resistance to problem diseases. Consider these factors when selecting alfalfa varieties for Ohio:

1. Yield. Yield is the major factor in determining profitability of an alfalfa stand. Select varieties with high yields over several locations and years. Table 3 shows this comparison in percent of the average yield. Varieties that perform equally well across several locations and years are probably adapted to a wider range of environmental conditions. Stable yield performance across several environments is important because soils may vary on your farm and weather conditions vary from year to year. Conditions on most farms are such that several varieties may perform equally well.

2. Persistence. Another important consideration beyond yield is how long the stand will last. Study variety performance by age of stand to get an estimate of longevity of stand productivity. Some varieties may decline with age more rapidly than others. This may influence your choice of variety depending on how long you intend to keep the stand in production. For long-term rotations, choose varieties with good performance in the fourth or fifth year of production. If you plan to harvest alfalfa for three years or less, then high performance during early years of the stand should be given major consideration.

3. Fall dormancy (FD) Alfalfa varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 1 through 5 are considered adequately winter hardy for Ohio conditions while those of 6 or higher are not considered adapted. Varieties with higher fall dormancy ratings tend to grow at a lower temperature. Thus they begin to grow earlier in the spring and later into the fall, extending the growing season. Until recently it was generally felt that fall dormancy rating was very closely correlated with winter hardiness. This relationship with modern varieties seems less dependable. Now, for example, a variety with a "2" dormancy rating may not always have greater winter hardiness compared to one with "3" fall dormancy rating. Fall dormancy ratings provided by the seed industry are given in Table 1.

4. Disease and pest resistance. Variety selection based on yield performance alone is less satisfactory than selections that also consider disease resistance characteristics. Resistance to specific disease-causing pathogens may be the most important attribute in an alfalfa variety. Pathogens can dramatically reduce yield and persistence of susceptible varieties. For example, Phytophthora root rot resistance is often very important on soils that are less than well-drained. The disease resistance characteristics of alfalfa varieties included in this report and their local seed marketers are listed in Table 1. Below is an explanation of the information found in Table 1.

a. Bacterial Wilt (Bw) and Fusarium Wilt (Fw) Nearly all alfalfa varieties currently grown in Ohio have resistance to Bacterial Wilt and Fusarium Wilt. The widespread use of these varieties has greatly diminished the significance of these diseases. However, severe losses can still be incurred in stands of susceptible varieties.

b. Verticillium Wilt (Vw) First detected in Ohio in 1984, this disease still has limited distribution within the state, having been confirmed on 17 farms in 9 Ohio counties. It has been found in Ashland, Columbiana, Franklin, Holmes, Knox, Logan, Medina, Stark, and Wayne Counties. Verticillium Wilt is usually introduced into a field on infested seed and generally does not become a problem until the third production year. Scattered plants become yellow and stunted and gradually die, leaving a thin, unproductive stand.    

c. Anthracnose (An) Anthracnose occurs during hot, rainy weather. The fungus attacks individual stems and grows into the crown, causing a crown rot and eventual death of the plant. Severe losses can occur the second and third year after seeding in stands of susceptible varieties.

d. Phytophthora Root Rot (PRR) This disease typically occurs in heavy or poorly drained soils. However, when any soil becomes water saturated, the fungus may invade the taproot and destroy the plant. Even resistant varieties are fairly susceptible to Phytophthora in the seedling stage.

e. Root Knot Nematode (RKN) Damage from Root Knot Nematode is most likely to occur on sandy or organic (muck) soils. Small galls or 'knots' form on roots. These may be confused with nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium nodules.

f. Aphanomyces root rot (APH) may contribute to poor alfalfa establishment and reduced growth in wet soils. Seedlings may die (damping off) if infection occurs at an early stage of development. Older seedlings are yellowed and stunted. When aphanomyces and phytophthora occur together, they form a destructive disease complex.

5. Compare to check variety. For comparisons of varieties across several trials, always compare varieties to the same check planted within the trial. The variety Vernal is used as a check in all Ohio trials.

6. Use good management. No variety can produce well under poor management. Good management considers all aspects of alfalfa production: seed bed preparation, liming and fertilization, seeding, pest control, harvest, storage, and post harvest treatment. Many newer varieties are better adapted to intensive management.

Summary of 2003 Alfalfa Crop Conditions

    The growing season began with a warmer than normal average daily temperatures in April and May followed by cooler than normal temperatures for most of the remainder of the season (Table 1). Overall, rainfall was above normal except at South Charleston. North Baltimore began the season in April with dry conditions, while the other locations had abundant to near normal rainfall in the Spring. The rainfall pattern for the year was non-typical with sudden storms of 2 to 3 inches and up to 5 inches at Jackson as a result of the hurricane season.

    Most varieties began the growing season with good stands. Forage yields in 2004 were lower than those from 2003, except where 2003 was the seeding year (Tables 6 and 7). In the 2001 established trials, forage yield at North Baltimore (Table 5) averaged 1.5 tons/acre more than average yield at South Charleston (Table 4). The 2003 seeding at South Charleston (Table 6) had similar yields as those at Wooster (Table 7). Alfalfa weevil populations were low this year with only a few pockets in the state requiring insecticide application. For more information on alfalfa weevil management see Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet FC-ENT-32 (alfalfa weevil) available at county extension offices and on the Internet (https://ohioline.osu.edu). Insecticide applications were used at all locations for control of Potato leafhopper (PLH). Leafhopper activity was low to moderate at North Baltimore and Wooster, but very high for the second and third harvests at South Charleston. Insecticide applications were used to control PLH infestations in the standard sprayed trials (Tables 4-8) only. No insecticide was applied to control this pest for the potato leafhopper resistance trial (Table 9). This trial is a continuing evaluation of the new leafhopper resistant alfalfa varieties that have higher yields than the two susceptible check varieties (Vernal and 54V54) under leafhopper pressure. The leafhopper resistant varieties are not resistant to alfalfa weevil, and will need to be treated with insecticides if weevil populations exceed action thresholds.

Table 1. Weather data summary for the 2004 growing season