Northern alfalfa being developed in Canada

Published 2022년 8월 31일

Tridge summary

Researchers are working on developing more winter-hardy varieties of alfalfa, a valuable forage crop, as most current varieties are bred in areas with milder winters. Canadian researchers have identified four out of 115 registered Canadian alfalfa varieties as being Canadian-developed. A new screening method has been developed to identify alfalfa for hardiness and reduced fall dormancy, which could extend the growing season and increase yields. Initial field studies suggest that reduced dormancy alfalfa performs as well or better than its normal parents. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and to further confirm the breeding approach can increase yield in northern climates without compromising winter survival.

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Original content

Adapting crops to regional production conditions is not a whim, but a necessity Researchers believe the valuable forage crop needs to be adapted for harsh winters as large multinational corporations focus breeding efforts in their largest markets rather than developing high-yielding, winter-hardy varieties for the regions. Dr. Reynold Bergen, scientific director of the Canadian Beef Cattle Research Council, writes about this in an article on the portal www.canadiancattlemen.ca. “Very few alfalfa varieties sold in Canada have been bred under Canadian conditions. The CFIA registered 119 varieties in Canada between 2012 and 2022, but only four (AAC Nikon, AAC Meadowview, AAC Bridgeview and AAC Trueman) have been developed in Canada. The remaining 115 came from breeding programs in China, Australia, California, Washington State, or Wisconsin, where winters tend to be milder than most places in Canada. Survival of alfalfa in winter depends on frost tolerance and autumn dormancy. Frost ...

Source: Agroxxi