developed by the Rhode Island Ag- group consists of personnel from ricultural Experiment Station and the experiment stations of Arizona, named in 1946.

California, and Nevada and the The plants are vigorous and vary U.S. Department of Agriculture. from prostrate to upright in habit Sonora was selected from African of growth. Narragansett has wide alfalfa. It is adapted to the desert crowns and dark-green foliage. valley areas of those States where Flowers are predominantly blue, high winter forage production is but color ranges from yellow to important. Compared to Moapa, purple; many flowers have a green- Sonora is superior in seedling vigor ish-blue shade. The variety is very and winter yields, and does as well susceptible to bacterial wilt.

during the rest of the year. It is Ranger.—Ranger was developed equal to Moapa in resistance to by the Nebraska Agricultural Ex- spotted aphids and less susceptible periment Station and the U.S. De- to downy mildew fungus. It is, howpartment of Agriculture and was ever, somewhat less persistent than released in 1942.

Moapa. Sonora was released in 1962. Ranger is resistant to bacterial Vernal.—Vernal was developed wilt and is a good forage and seed by the Wisconsin Agricultural Exproducer. It recovers more quickly periment Station and the U.S. Deafter cutting than Ladak or Cos

partment of Agriculture and was sack-about as quickly as Grimm. released in 1953. Ranger is somewhat susceptible to Vernal is an outstanding forage leaf spot diseases.

producer in the North Central Plants

vary

in habit of growth- States. It has fine stems, leafy, darksome are upright; others are semi

green foliage, and broad crowns. It upright. Flower color varies.

makes only a moderately rapid reSonora.—Sonora is a spotted

covery after cutting, and goes into aphid resistant variety developed by dormancy early in the fall. It is the Southwest Workers Group. This highly resistant to bacterial wilt,

and is tolerant to leaf spot and to yellow leaf blotch.

NEW VARIETIES

Know your varieties. It is very important that you plant seed of a variety that is adapted to the conditions of your area.

Buying certified seed is the best assurance of obtaining seed that will produce plants with the characteristics that make a variety desirable. Certified seed is

• True to variety name.
• Grown from authentic planting

stock.
• Of good planting quality.

At least 13 other varieties of alfalfa developed by State agricultural experiment stations or by States in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been released since 1958. The varieties are Teton, Zia, Culver, Chero

operation with the U.S. Department Variety recommendations are not given

of Agriculture. It was released in in this publication. Variety recommendations for each State may be obtained

1961. from your State agricultural experiment This variety yields well and has station.

more tolerance to leafhopper yellowing and rusts than other varieties. It is also slightly more persis

tent. Early spring growth behavior kee, Uinta, Saranac, Ladak 65, Travois , Caliverde 65, Mark II, ting are intermediate between At

and rapidity of recovery after cutMesa-Sirsa, Washoe, and Delta.

lantic and Du Puits. Cherokee is Several new varieties also have

moderately susceptible to bacterial been developed recently by com

wilt. mercial firms. Those that had received favorable review by the Na

This variety has moderate winter tional Certified Alfalfa Variety

hardiness and is adapted to North

Carolina and probably to neighborReview Board before 1966 were 525,

ing States. Progress, WL 202, Norseman, Apex,

Culver.-Culver was developed Scout, and Stride. No varieties are available that have been bred for

by the Indiana Agricultural Exresistance to the alfalfa weevil, a

periment Station in cooperation

with the Central Alfalfa Improvepest that has become troublesome in

ment Conference. It was released recent years in alfalfa production.

Apex.—Apex was developed by in 1959. W. R. Grace & Co., Rudy-Patrick The variety has enough resistance Seed Division, from plants of to the meadow spittlebug to perFlemish origin. It was first offered form well under normal infestation for sale in 1966. Apex has an area without the protection of insectiof adaptation similar to Du Puits

cides; in epidemic in festations an and Alfa but has more resistance to

insecticide should be used, however. bacterial wilt and pea aphids.

This variety is resistant to bacterial Caliverde 65.-Caliverde 65 was

wilt. Culver also has some resistance developed by the California Agri

to the potato leafhopper and the cultural Experiment Station. It is similar to Caliverde but has resist

spotted alfalfa aphid.

Culver is winterhardy. ance to the spotted alfalfa aphid

Delta.-Delta was released in and tolerance to the stem nematode. In resistance to leafspot diseases,

1965 by the U.S. Department of the new variety ranks close to Cali

Agriculture and Mississippi Agriverde. It was released for increase

cultural Experiment Station for the in 1965.

lower Mississippi Valley. Delta perCherokee.Cherokee was devel

sists better in that area than other oped by the North Carolina Agri- varieties. The new variety has tolcultural Experiment Station in co- erance to root and crown rots, leaf

spot diseases, and leafhopper yel- culture. The new variety, released lowing

in 1965, is adapted to the lower des525.—The variety 525 was devel- ert valley areas of the Southwest oped by the Arnold-Thomas Seed where the African, Moapa, and Service and Pioneer Hi-bred Corn Sonora varieties are grown. In these Co. Seed was first offered to grow- areas, winter forage and stands of 2 ers in 1963. It was selected from to 3 years are desired. It appears to Vernal for bloom, seed, and growth be more resistant to mosaic and characteristics. Some of the pa- towny mildew than Sonora and prorental clones are resistant to the duces more midwinter growth than spotted alfalfa aphid, and nearly Moapa. all of them are resistant to bacterial Norseman.—Norseman was sewilt. Reaction of the variety to the lected for winter hardiness, unipotato leafhopper is similar to that formity of recovery, growth habit, of Vernal. The area of adaptation and resistance to bacterial wilt from of 525 is similar to that of Ranger Ladak by Barzan of Minneapolis, and Vernal.

Inc. Primary use is for hay and/or Ladak 65.—Ladak 65 is a new grazing and for long term rotation variety consisting of 49 parent in areas where bacterial wilt and clones from selected Ladak. It was winter-kill limit the use of other released by the Montana Agricul- varieties. tural Experiment Station in 1964. Progress.- Progress was develLadak 65 is adapted to dryland oped by Caladino Farm Seeds, Inc. haying areas and to irrigated areas Seed was first offered for sale in where two hay cuttings are made. 1963. The parent clones were seIts flower color is like Ladak, but lected from the variety Vernal on it is more resistant to bacterial wilt the basis of seed and forage charthan Ladak.

acteristics. Progress has a much Mark II.—Mark II was released lower percentage of plants with yelin 1965 by the Agricultural Experi- low and yellow-green shades of ment Station of Cornell University flower color than Vernal. Other and was developed from high seed characteristics, such as plant height, setting plants of Narragansett se- foliage color, pubescence, leafiness lected in Wyoming and California. and stem diameter, are similar to It yields forage equal to Narragan- Vernal. Progress is wilt resistant sett. The new variety is adapted to and is adapted to the Vernalthe Northeast, in the same area and Ranger alfalfa area. uses as Narragansett.

Saranac.-Saranac was develMesa-Sirsa.—Mesa-Sirsa is oped by the Cornell Agricultural nondormant, winter-tender synthet- Experiment Station from selections ic variety developed by the Arizona tracing to Du Puits, Alfa, FlaAgricultural Experiment Station mande, and A225. It was released and the U.S. Department of Agri- in 1963. Saranac is resistant to bac

a

terial wilt and adapted to New tion caused by two Fusarium speYork and adjacent areas where al- cies causing root rots. falfa is intensively managed for Teton is very winterhardy. highest production. Saranac is erect Travois.— Travois was developed and nonpubescent like Du Puits and by the South Dakota Agricultural Alfa, and it offers considerable tol- Experiment Station from root proerance to some leafspotting diseases. liferating strains tracing to Ram

Scout.—The parentage of Scout bler and a Cossack x Semipalatinsk traces to Vernal, Narragansett, population. Released in 1963, it is Ranger, Buffalo, Cossack, and La- adapted to the north-central Great dak. The variety was developed by Plains for rangeland interseeding Farmers Forage Research Coopera- and for pastures. Travois tends totive. Attention was given to yield ward a prostrate habit of growth. and disease resistance during its de- Travois recovers slowly after cutvelopment. Scout appears to have ting and enters dormancy early in an area of adaptation similar to the fall. This variety is resistant to that of Vernal and Ranger.

bacterial wilt and common leafspot. Stride.-Stride has typical Flem- Uinta.—Uinta was developed by ish-type growth characteristics. the U.S. Department of AgriculThe variety was developed by Cala- ture and the Utah Agricultural Exdino Farm Seeds, Inc. primarily periment Station and released in for use as a hay crop in short rota- 1961. It is more resistant to yellow tions in the central Corn Belt States leaf blotch and downy mildew than and in the Northeastern States. Ranger. Like Ranger, Uinta is re

Teton.—Teton was developed by sistant to bacterial wilt and suscepthe South Dakota Agricultural Ex- tible to attack by the spotted alperiment Station and was released falfa aphid. It is an exceptionally in 1958.

high seed producer in Utah tests. Teton has a low, wide crown with Uinta is slightly less hardy than aggressive development of rhizomes Ranger and is adapted to areas (underground stems). It is more having climatic and soil conditions dormant than Ladak after the first similar to those in northern Utah. harvest and in the fall. The high- Washoe.-Washoe was developed est forage yield is obtained in the by the Nevada Agricultural Experfirst cutting of the season. Teton iment Station and the U.S. Departhas been more persistent than other ment of Agriculture. It is distinvarieties in South Dakota tests. It guished by resistance to four pests— yields less than other varieties

pea aphids, spotted alfalfa aphids, where droughts are not serious stem nematodes, and bacterial wilt. problems. This variety has moder- It is winter dormant with winterate resistance to bacterial wilt,

to bacterial wilt, hardiness similar to Lahontan. Wacommon leaf spot, and field infec- shoe is best suited to irrigated areas

of the Pacific Coast and Inter- ment Station and was released in mountain regions. It was released 1958. for seed increase in 1965.

Zia is resistant to the spotted alWL 202.-WL 202 was developed falfa aphid. It is slightly less winby the Waterman-Loomis Co. from terhardy than Lahontan. Vernal and Narragansett. Seed became available in 1963. Develop

OTHER VARIETIES ment of the variety was based on resistance to the spotted alfalfa Other varieties of U.S. origin, aphid and forage and seed charac- which are grown on a relatively teristics. Flowers are predominantly small acreage, include African, Atpurple; 10 to 15 percent are yellow lantic, Caliverde, Chilean 21-5, and blue variegated. WL 202 is Hairy Peruvian, Indian, Meeker somewhat less fall dormant than Baltic, Nomad, Orestan, Talent, Vernal but more dormant than and Williamsburg. Cayuga. WL 202 is resistant to bac- Varieties of foreign origin (in terial wilt. It is adapted to the addition to Du Puits) include Alfa, Ranger-Vernal alfalfa area. Canadian Variegated, Cardinal,

Zia.--Zia was developed by the Europa, FD 100, Glacier, Orchies, New Mexico Agricultural Experi- Rambler, Rhizoma, and Tuna.

Mention of a proprietary name in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval by the Department to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.

U. S, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1968 O - 266-302