Alfalfa Variety Performance at Maricopa, 1997-1999
M. J. Ottman, S. E. Smith, D. M. Fendenheim, and M.T. Rogers
Introduction
Alfalfa varieties are being introduced into the marketplace at a record-setting pace. The number of varieties
available for low-elevation desert areas in Arizona is about 44. New varieties are introduced each year and
unbiased yield comparisons are helpful to the grower to base the decision of whether or not to sow a new variety.
The study reported here is part of the on-going effort to evaluate alfalfa variety performance in Arizona.
Procedure
Alfalfa varieties and experimentals (potential varieties being evaluated for future release) were compared in a field
study on a Casa Grande sandy loam soil on Field 106 at the Maricopa Agricultural Center near Maricopa, Arizona.
The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications and 29 entries. Seed was sown
on October 11, 1996 into five rows spaced 6 inches apart with a single row hand planter at a rate of 20 pounds of
seed per acre. The plots were 3 ft. wide by 12 ft. long. Irrigation water was applied the same day as planting to
germinate the seed. The plots were fertilized with 100 pounds of P2O5 per acre as 11-52-0 broadcast in December
of 1996. Irrigations of about 4 to 6 inches each were applied using the border flood method at an interval of twice
per cutting. The plots were cut with a sickle-bar mower, the forage was raked, placed on a tarp, and weighed. The
cutting interval at the peak of the season was every 4 weeks. The plots were subjected to insect pressure from
Egyptian alfalfa weevil, various aphids, alfalfa caterpillar, beet armyworm, and whitefly, but damage from these
pests was not severe enough to warrant chemical control. No herbicides were applied.
Discussion
Hay yields for the varieties tested are presented in Table 1. No general conclusions are intended to be made from
this study, which is part of an ongoing effort to evaluate alfalfa variety performance in Arizona. This information
is intended to help growers decide whether or not to plant a new variety on a limited acreage on commercial farms.
A new variety should be planted on a larger acreage only after the variety has been evaluated on a smaller acreage
under farm-specific conditions.
Acknowledgments
This project was financially supported by ABI Alfalfa, Cal/West Seeds, Dairyland Research, Jim Roth Seed,
Novartis Seeds, PGI/MBS, S & W Seed, and W-L Research.
This is a part of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture 1999 Forage & Grain Report, index at:
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/crop
Table 1. Forage yield for alfalfa varieties and experimentals at Maricopa, AZ from 1997 to 1999.
Forage Yield
1997
1998
Source
Entry
4-Mar 15-Apr 20-May 17-Jun 15-Jul 19-Aug 2-Oct 4-Dec 5-Mar 26-Apr 29-May
----------------------------------------------- lbs/plot --------------------------------------------Univ. Arizona 94 AZ MELC
Novartis Seeds
Coronado
Univ. California
CUF 101
Cal/West Seeds CW 49100
Cal/West Seeds CW 49125
Cal/West Seeds
CW 4956
Cal/West Seeds
CW 4958
Cal/West Seeds
CW 4978
Dairyland Res.
DS 691
Univ. California
Highline
Univ. Arizona
Lew
Dairyland Res.
Magna 9
PGI/MBS
Mecca II
PGI/MBS
Mesa
S & W Seed
SW 14
S & W Seed
SW 7408
S & W Seed
SW 8210
S & W Seed
SW 9301
S & W Seed
SW 9409
S & W Seed
SW 9523
S & W Seed
SW 9628
WL Research
WL 525HQ
WL Research
WL 612
Jim Roth Seed
XA 524
ABI Alfalfa
ZS 9491
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9392
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9497
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9499A
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9590C
AVERAGE
10.0
9.7
11.0
8.7
10.6
9.6
8.7
9.9
9.3
9.7
11.2
10.2
9.4
9.7
6.5
9.1
9.7
9.9
4.8
4.7
9.9
9.8
10.0
8.6
12.2
10.0
9.2
8.0
6.7
9.2
9.5
9.8
11.1
9.8
10.3
10.1
9.9
10.5
10.2
10.1
10.7
10.5
10.2
10.3
9.5
10.1
11.1
10.1
9.2
8.8
10.6
10.5
10.2
9.8
10.9
10.1
11.0
9.5
10.0
13.0
12.3
12.7
12.1
13.8
12.8
12.1
13.2
13.0
12.1
12.9
12.9
12.9
12.8
11.5
12.2
13.4
12.9
10.4
9.6
12.7
12.5
12.6
12.4
12.8
12.5
13.2
12.7
11.9
14.8
13.9
13.7
14.2
14.8
14.7
13.5
14.8
14.7
13.7
14.6
14.9
14.6
13.8
13.2
13.4
14.8
14.4
11.7
11.3
14.7
13.9
13.9
13.4
15.0
14.5
14.8
13.8
13.4
13.7
13.4
13.0
12.9
13.8
13.6
12.6
13.3
13.6
12.3
12.9
14.2
13.3
12.4
12.6
11.7
13.4
13.9
11.2
11.1
14.5
13.2
13.0
12.4
13.7
13.0
13.3
12.4
12.2
11.4
11.7
11.8
11.2
11.9
11.9
10.8
10.9
12.0
11.0
12.2
11.4
11.2
10.8
10.6
10.0
10.9
11.3
9.8
9.3
12.0
11.7
11.4
10.5
12.2
11.6
11.1
10.6
10.3
7.4
7.2
7.9
6.8
7.7
7.5
7.0
7.1
7.5
7.6
8.1
6.9
7.1
6.5
7.0
6.6
6.8
7.4
6.5
6.1
8.3
7.4
7.9
7.0
8.0
7.5
7.3
7.0
7.2
9.5
9.1
10.5
8.6
9.4
9.3
8.0
8.9
8.4
10.6
9.7
9.3
9.0
7.9
8.8
7.5
8.4
8.9
9.3
7.4
10.5
8.7
9.5
8.7
11.4
8.9
9.0
8.1
8.6
8.5
8.5
9.6
8.3
9.2
8.7
7.9
8.7
8.3
9.3
7.9
8.9
8.1
8.0
7.9
7.1
8.3
8.5
8.1
7.3
8.7
8.1
9.4
7.9
9.9
8.2
8.5
7.5
7.2
9.3
9.8
10.7
9.8
10.0
10.3
8.9
10.1
10.0
10.0
9.2
9.8
9.7
9.1
9.4
8.8
9.6
9.6
9.4
8.2
10.2
9.2
9.8
9.0
10.1
9.8
9.5
9.1
9.1
15.4
15.5
17.4
15.5
16.4
15.8
15.4
16.5
16.1
15.8
15.5
16.0
15.9
15.3
14.3
14.5
16.1
14.9
14.6
12.5
16.2
15.3
16.4
15.3
16.8
15.5
15.0
14.8
14.4
Table 1(cont’d). Forage yield for alfalfa varieties and experimentals at Maricopa, AZ from 1997 to 1999.
Forage Yield
1998
1999
1997-99
Source
Entry
18-Jun 16-Jul 20-Aug 1-Oct 3-Dec 4-Mar 15-Apr 20-May Sum Sum
--------------------------------------- lbs/plot --------------------------------------- %CUF
Univ. Arizona 94 AZ MELC
Novartis Seeds
Coronado
Univ. California
CUF 101
Cal/West Seeds
CW 49100
Cal/West Seeds
CW 49125
Cal/West Seeds
CW 4956
Cal/West Seeds
CW 4958
Cal/West Seeds
CW 4978
Dairyland Res.
DS 691
Univ. California
Highline
Univ. Arizona
Lew
Dairyland Res.
Magna 9
PGI/MBS
Mecca II
PGI/MBS
Mesa
S & W Seed
SW 14
S & W Seed
SW 7408
S & W Seed
SW 8210
S & W Seed
SW 9301
S & W Seed
SW 9409
S & W Seed
SW 9523
S & W Seed
SW 9628
WL Research
WL 525HQ
WL Research
WL 612
Jim Roth Seed
XA 524
ABI Alfalfa
ZS 9491
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9392
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9497
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9499A
ABI Alfalfa
ZX 9590C
AVERAGE
LSD (5%)
CV (%)
14.0
13.9
15.4
14.2
15.1
14.7
13.9
15.1
14.7
14.6
14.3
14.0
14.4
13.1
13.5
12.6
14.0
14.1
13.9
11.7
15.2
13.6
14.2
12.8
15.2
14.1
13.8
12.8
12.5
14.0
14.3
14.1
15.6
14.4
14.7
14.8
14.0
13.8
14.6
14.2
13.8
13.8
14.2
13.1
13.1
12.9
13.6
13.7
13.5
11.8
15.7
13.8
14.0
12.4
15.7
14.4
13.9
12.9
13.0
13.9
6.8
6.8
7.4
6.7
6.8
6.6
6.1
6.3
7.0
7.2
6.6
6.7
6.7
6.2
6.4
5.8
6.3
6.6
6.6
5.9
7.7
6.3
6.9
6.0
7.0
6.8
6.6
5.8
5.9
6.6
7.9
8.1
8.5
7.7
8.3
8.1
7.6
7.7
8.4
8.4
8.7
7.8
8.1
7.4
7.7
7.1
7.6
8.0
7.7
6.7
8.7
7.8
8.2
7.4
8.3
8.2
7.9
7.2
7.6
7.9
7.0
7.3
8.0
6.8
7.2
7.7
6.9
7.4
6.9
7.8
7.9
6.9
6.9
6.9
6.6
6.4
6.5
6.6
7.0
5.6
8.1
6.7
7.8
6.4
7.5
7.1
6.7
6.2
6.5
7.0
8.0
8.3
9.6
8.2
9.7
8.0
7.9
9.1
8.3
8.7
9.3
9.4
8.2
8.3
7.5
6.9
7.7
8.0
8.0
6.3
9.3
7.3
10.0
7.0
8.9
8.1
7.6
6.9
7.0
8.2
11.1
12.4
13.9
12.3
12.9
12.2
11.9
13.1
12.8
12.6
13.1
12.7
12.5
11.7
10.5
11.0
11.5
12.2
11.7
9.7
13.1
11.6
13.0
10.9
13.4
12.1
11.8
11.2
11.1
12.1
12.7
13.5
15.6
13.1
14.8
14.4
13.4
14.8
14.8
14.4
14.0
14.7
13.7
13.2
12.3
13.2
13.8
13.6
13.3
11.7
15.0
13.5
15.1
12.7
13.7
13.8
13.5
12.9
12.9
13.7
204
205
223
201
217
211
197
211
211
210
213
211
206
197
189
187
204
205
187
166
221
201
213
191
223
206
204
189
188
203
91
92
100
90
97
94
88
95
94
94
95
94
92
88
85
84
91
92
84
74
99
90
95
85
100
92
91
85
84
91
1.3
6.5
0.9
4. 8
0.7
7.1
0.7
5.9
0.8
8.2
1.1
9.7
1.0
6.1
1.3
6.9
11
4.0
5
4.0