This leaflet includes a listing of over 150 alfalfa varieties adapted to Ohio growing conditions. The listing is adapted from a leaflet published by the Certified Alfalfa Seed Council which identifies the disease and growth (fall dormancy) characteristics. All of the varieties are eligible for certification by seed- certifying agencies and are currently available for purchase in the United States. Varieties designated only by a number are listed first, the remainder are listed alphabetically. The format is designed to facilitate comparisons between varieties. Blank spaces indicate that a variety is susceptible or has not been adequately tested.
Less than 10 percent of the available certified alfalfa varieties are "public varieties" which are sold by many different marketers. The remainder are "proprietary varieties" which are sold only by specific marketers. A listing of names and addresses for marketing information of these varieties is included.
The abbreviations for the column headings are:
Disease resistance ratings are based upon the percent of plants within a variety expressing resistance to the disease indicated.
| % Resistant plants | Resistance class |
|---|---|
| 0-5% | Susceptible (S) |
| 6-14% | Low Resistance (LR) |
| 15-30% | Moderate Resistance (MR) |
| 31-50% | Resistance (R) |
| >50% | High Resistance (HR) |
ALFALFA VARIETY CHARACTERISTICS
| Variety | Marketer | FD | Bw | Vw | Fw | An | PRR | RKN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | L.L. Olds | 4 | R | R | R | R | MR | -- |
| 98 | L.L. Olds | 3 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| 120 | DeKalb | 3 | HR | -- | R | LR | R | -- |
| 526 | Pioneer | 2 | HR | -- | MR | -- | LR | -- |
| 555 | Pioneer | 4 | HR | -- | MR | -- | -- | -- |
| 624 | Garst | 4 | R | LR | R | MR | MR | -- |
| 629 | Garst | 3 | R | MR | R | MR | MR | -- |
| 630 | Garst | 4 | HR | MR | R | MR | R | -- |
| 633 | Germain's | 4 | HR | R | R | HR | HR | -- |
| 2833 | CIBA-GEIGY Seeds | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| 2980 | L.L. Olds | 3 | HR | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| 5262 | Pioneer | 2 | HR | LR | MR | -- | R | -- |
| 5311 | Pioneer | 3 | HR | MR | HR | -- | R | -- |
| 5331 | Pioneer | 4 | HR | LR | HR | HR | R | -- |
| 5333 | Pioneer | 4 | HR | MR | HR | HR | R | -- |
| 5364 | Pioneer | 4 | R | MR | R | MR | MR | -- |
| 5373 | Pioneer | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | MR | -- |
| 5432 | Pioneer | 4 | HR | R | HR | -- | MR | -- |
| 5472 | Pioneer | 4 | HR | MR | HR | MR | MR | -- |
| A-54 | Embro Seed | 2 | MR | -- | -- | -- | LR | -- |
| Action | Research Seeds | 4 | R | MR | R | HR | R | -- |
| AF 21 | Asgrow | 4 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| AF 31 | Asgrow | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Aggressor | ABI | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| AgriBoss | Cropmate | 3 | HR | MR | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Agri-MATE | Cropmate | 4 | R | R | HR | R | R | -- |
| Agate | Public | 2 | HR | -- | HR | MR | R | -- |
| Alfagraze | ABI | 2 | MR | -- | R | MR | LR | -- |
| Allegiance | Keltgen/Lynks | 3 | R | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Allstar | Hytest Seed | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | MR |
| Alpine | Oasis/Bio-Plant Res. | 2 | R | R | R | R | R | -- |
| Anstar | FFR | 4 | R | -- | MR | R | -- | -- |
| Apollo | ABI | 4 | R | -- | R | LR | R | -- |
| Apollo II | ABI | 4 | R | MR | R | MR | HR | -- |
| Apollo Supreme | ABI | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Arc | Public | 4 | LR | -- | MR | HR | -- | LR |
| Archer | ABI | 5 | MR | MR | HR | R | R | -- |
| Arrow | ABI | 3 | HR | R | HR | MR | HR | -- |
| Asset | Allied Seed | 4 | HR | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| Baker | Public | 2 | HR | -- | R | LR | -- | -- |
| Belmont | Great Plains | 5 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Big 10 | Great Lakes | 3 | HR | -- | HR | R | R | -- |
| Blazer | Cenex/Land O'Lakes | 3 | HR | LR | R | LR | MR | -- |
| Blazer XL | Cenex/Land O'Lakes | 3 | R | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Break-thru | Custom Farm Seed | 3 | HR | R | HR | MR | HR | -- |
| Bronco | Jung | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Centurion | Agway/Allied | 3 | HR | R | R | R | R | -- |
| RKNChamp | Research Seeds | 3 | R | MR | HR | -- | MR | -- |
| Chief | Jacques | 4 | HR | R | R | R | HR | MR |
| Cimarron | Great Plains | 4 | HR | LR | HR | R | MR | -- |
| Cimarron VR | Great Plains | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Clipper | Payco | 2 | HR | R | HR | R | R | -- |
| Columbo | Plant Genetics | 3 | R | HR | HR | R | R | MR |
| Comet | Moews | 3 | HR | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Commandor | Northrup King | 4 | R | MR | R | HR | R | -- |
| Crockett | Northrup King | 5 | HR | -- | MR | HR | R | -- |
| Crown | Cargill | 3 | R | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Crown II | Cargill | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Crystal | Mike Brayton Seeds | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | -- |
| Cutter | Payco | 4 | R | R | HR | R | HR | -- |
| Dart | AgriPro | 3 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | -- |
| Deseret | Public | 5 | MR | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| DK 122 | DeKalb | 2 | HR | R | R | HR | HR | -- |
| DK 125 | DeKalb | 3 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| DK 135 | DeKalb | 4 | R | MR | R | MR | MR | -- |
| Drummor | Northrup King | 4 | R | -- | MR | MR | R | -- |
| Duke | AgriPro | 4 | R | -- | R | MR | HR | -- |
| Dyna-II | Stine | 3 | R | HR | HR | R | R | -- |
| Dynasty | Dairyland | 4 | HR | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Eagle | Asgrow | 4 | HR | MR | R | R | MR | -- |
| Echo | Callahan/ProfiSeed | 4 | R | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Edge | Research Seeds | 4 | R | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Elevation | Jacques | 3 | R | MR | R | -- | MR | -- |
| Emerald | Plains | 4 | R | MR | R | MR | R | -- |
| EMPRESS | Blaney/Casterline | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | MR |
| Endure | Cargill | 3 | R | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Envy | Peterson Seed | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Epic | Mike Peterson | 4 | R | -- | MR | -- | R | -- |
| Excalibur | Agway/Allied | 4 | R | R | HR | MR | LR | -- |
| Flint | Plant Genetics | 4 | R | LR | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Fortress | Northrup King | 4 | R | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| G-2841 | CIBA-GEIGY Seeds | 3 | HR | R | R | R | R | -- |
| G-2852 | CIBA-GEIGY/Hoffman | 4 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| GH715 | Golden Harvest | 3 | R | LR | R | MR | MR | -- |
| GH737 | Golden Harvest | 4 | R | R | R | MR | HR | MR |
| GH 747 | Golden Harvest | 4 | HR | MR | R | HR | HR | -- |
| Garst 636 | Garst | 2 | HR | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Garst 645 | Garst | 3 | HR | R | R | HR | HR | -- |
| Good as Gold | Johnston | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | -- |
| Gourmet Hay | Gutwein | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | MR |
| Haymark | FFR | 3 | R | -- | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Hi-phy | FFR | 4 | HR | -- | HR | -- | MR | -- |
| Husky | Plant Genetics | 3 | R | -- | R | MR | MR | -- |
| Impact | Peterson Seed | 3 | HR | R | HR | MR | R | -- |
| Jade | NC+ Hybrids | 4 | HR | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| Kingstar | King Grain/Dahlgren | 3 | R | R | HR | MR | R | MR |
| Legacy | Genesis | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | -- |
| Legend | Cenex/Land O'Lakes | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| RKNMagnum | Dairyland | 4 | R | -- | R | MR | LR | -- |
| Magnum+ | Dairyland | 4 | R | LR | R | MR | R | -- |
| Magnum III | Dairyland | 4 | R | MR | R | MR | R | -- |
| Majestic | Agway | 3 | R | HR | HR | HR | MR | -- |
| Mede | Union Seed | 5 | MR | MR | HR | R | R | -- |
| Mercury | Moews | 3 | R | -- | HR | MR | HR | -- |
| Milkmaker | Plant Genetics | 3 | R | -- | HR | MR | MR | -- |
| Mohawk | N.Y.S.I.C. | 2 | HR | -- | MR | HR | -- | -- |
| MultiKing I | Northrup King | 3 | HR | R | HR | R | R | -- |
| Multi-plier | Jacques | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| New Era 90 | Voris/Didion | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | R |
| Oneida | N.Y.S.I.C. | 2 | HR | -- | R | -- | HR | -- |
| Oneida VR | N.Y.S.I.C. | 3 | R | HR | HR | MR | MR | -- |
| Patriot | McCurdy | 4 | R | R | R | R | R | -- |
| Peak | Research Seeds | 4 | R | LR | R | -- | MR | -- |
| Perry | Public | 3 | R | -- | R | LR | MR | -- |
| Precedent | Doeblers/Wyffels | 4 | HR | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| Premier | Wyffels/Dahlgren | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | MR |
| Pro-Cut | L. Herried | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | MR |
| Pro-Cut 2 | L. Herried | 4 | HR | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| Profit | Peterson-Biddick | 2 | HR | R | HR | MR | R | -- |
| Promise | Garst/Hoffman | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | MR |
| Quest | Renk | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | MR |
| RamRod | Bio-Plant Research | 4 | R | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Riley | Public | 4 | HR | LR | -- | MR | -- | -- |
| Recovery | Plant Genetics | 4 | R | R | R | R | R | -- |
| Recovery III | Stine | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Resistar | FFR | 4 | R | HR | HR | R | HR | -- |
| Renegade | Geertson | 3 | R | LR | MR | S | R | -- |
| Royalty | Cargill | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | MR |
| Salute | Keltgen/Lynks | 4 | HR | MR | R | MR | R | -- |
| Saranac | N.Y.S.I.C. | 4 | R | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Saranac AR | N.Y.S.I.C. | 4 | MR | -- | R | HR | -- | -- |
| Shenandoah | Great Plains | 5 | HR | -- | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Shield | Great Lakes | 3 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Sparta | Cenex/Land O'Lakes | 3 | R | R | MR | -- | MR | -- |
| Spredor 2 | Northrup King | 1 | HR | -- | MR | -- | -- | -- |
| Starmaster | Doeblers | 3 | R | R | R | MR | R | -- |
| Sure | Cenex/Land O'Lakes | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Surpass | Cenex/Land O'Lakes | 3 | HR | R | HR | MR | R | -- |
| Target | Bio-Plant Research | 4 | HR | MR | R | MR | HR | -- |
| Target II | Bio-Plant Research | 4 | HR | R | R | R | R | -- |
| Terminator | LaCrosse | 4 | HR | R | HR | R | R | -- |
| Thrive | Great Lakes | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | HR | -- |
| Tomahawk | Jung | 4 | R | MR | R | HR | MR | -- |
| Top Ton | Garst | 4 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Trident | Cargill | 4 | R | -- | HR | MR | HR | -- |
| Trident II | Cargill | 3 | HR | R | R | R | HR | -- |
| Ultra | Seedtec/AgriPro | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | R | -- |
| Ultimate | Terra Int. | 4 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Vector | Peterson Seed | 4 | R | MR | HR | R | R | -- |
| Vernal | Public | 2 | R | -- | MR | -- | -- | MR |
| Vernema | Public | 4 | MR | MR | -- | LR | LR | -- |
| Verta+ | NC+ Hybrids | 4 | HR | R | R | HR | R | -- |
| Victory | Hytest | 3 | HR | R | HR | HR | MR | -- |
| VIP | Research Seeds | 3 | HR | R | R | R | R | -- |
| Voyager | Bio-Plant Research | 4 | HR | MR | R | MR | R | -- |
| WAMPR | FFR | 4 | R | R | R | R | R | -- |
| WL225 | W-L Research | 2 | HR | R | HR | MR | HR | MR |
| WL316 | W-L Research | 4 | MR | R | R | HR | MR | MR |
| WL317 | W-L Research | 3 | HR | R | HR | R | HR | MR |
| WL320 | W-L Research | 4 | R | MR | HR | MR | R | MR |
| WL322 HQ | W-L Research | 4 | HR | R | HR | MR | R | LR |
| Washoe | Public | 5 | R | -- | -- | LR | R | -- |
| Webfoot | Great Lakes | 3 | R | -- | MR | S | R | -- |
| Wrangler | Public | 2 | R | LR | R | LR | HR | -- |
| Zenith | Garst | 3 | HR | R | R | HR | HR | - |
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. For example, a variety with a "2" dormancy rating may not always have greater cold tolerance compared to one with "3" fall dormancy rating.
DISEASE RESISTANCE Unlike varieties of many other crops, an alfalfa variety consists of plants with many different genetic characteristics. Thus the term "moderate resistance" means that 15 to 30% of the plants in the field will be resistant to that particular disease. This means that the remaining 70 to 85% of the plants will be susceptible. Consequently, it is not unusual to see moderate damage from some diseases even on a "resistant" variety.
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.
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 stand losses may occur the second and third year after seeding.
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.
VERTICILLIUM WILT (Vw) First detected in Ohio in 1984, this disease still has a limited distribution within the state, having been confirmed on 16 farms in 9 Ohio counties. It has been found in Franklin, Medina, Stark, Wayne, Knox, Ashland, Holmes, Columbiana and Logan Counties as of September, 1991. 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.
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.
| ADDRESSES OF MARKETERS | |
|---|---|
| ABI P.O. Box 2955 Shawnee Mission, KS 66201 |
AgriPro Seeds P.O. Box 2955 Shawnee Mission, KS 66201 |
| Agway, Inc. P.O. Box 4741 Syracuse, NY 13221-4741 |
Allied Seed Co-op 1917 E. Fargo Ave. Nampa, ID 83651 |
| Asgrow Seed Co. 7000 Portage Rd. Kalamazoo, MI 49001 |
Bio-Plant Research, Ltd. P.O. Box 300 Camp Point, IL 62320 |
| Mike Brayton Seeds P.O. Box 308 Ames, IA 50010 |
Callahan Enterprises Inc 1122 East 169th Street Westfield, IN 46074 |
| Cargill Hybrid Seeds P.O. Box 5645 Minneapolis, MN 55440 |
Casterline Seeds P.O. Box 1377 Dodge City, KS 67801 |
| Cenex/Land O'Lakes Inc. 2827 8th Ave. S. Fort Dodge, IA 50501 |
CIBA-GEIGY Seed Division P.O. Box 18300 Greensboro, NC 27419-8300 |
| Cropmate P.O. Box 978 North Pekin, IL 61555 |
Custom Farm Seed P.O. Box 160 Momence, IL 60954 |
| Dahlgren Company, Inc. 1220 Sunflower Street Crookston, MN 56716 |
Dairyland Seed Co. Inc. P.O. Box 958 West Bend, WI 53095 |
| DeKalb Plant Genetics 3100 Sycamore Road DeKalb, IL 60115 |
Didion, Inc. 210 Grell Lane Johnson Creek, WI 53038 |
| Doeblers Seed RFD #1 Jersey Shore, PA 17740 |
Embro Seed Co., Inc. P.O. Box 247 Wright City, MO 63390 |
| FFR Cooperative 4112 E. State Road 225 W. Lafayette, IN 47906 |
Garst Seed Co. P.O. Box 300 Coon Rapids, IA 50058 |
| Geertson Seed Farms Route 2, Box 129 Adrian, OR 97901 |
The Genesis Group 19 W. South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84111 |
| Germain's Seeds P.O. Box 12447 Fresno, CA 93777 |
Golden Harvest Seeds, Inc. 513 E. Locust Bloomington, IL 61701 |
| Great Lakes Hybrids Inc. P.O. Box 637 Ovid, MI 48866 |
Great Plains Research Co.Inc. 3624 Kildaire Farm Rd. Apex, NC 27502 |
| Fred Gutwein & Sons, Inc. Route 1, Box 40 Francesville, IN 47946 |
L. Herried Seed P.O. Box 216 Prescott, WI 54021-0216 |
| Hytest Seeds, Inc. P.O. Box 366 Buffalo, NY 14240 |
Jacques Seed Co. 720 St. Croix Street Prescott, WI 54021 |
| Johnston Seed Co. Box 1392 Enid, OK 73702 |
Jung Farms Inc. 335 S. High St. Randolph, WI 53957 |
| Keltgen Seed Co. Box A Olivia,MN 56277 |
King Grain, Inc. P.O. Box 69 Blissfield, MI 49228 |
| LaCrosse Seed Corp. P.O. Box 187 LaCrosse, WI 54601 |
Lynks Seed Box 637 Marshalltown, IA 50158 |
| McCurdy Seed 532 East Main Fremont, IA 52561 |
NC+ Hybrids 3820 N. 56th Street Lincoln, NE 68504 |
| Moews Seed Co. Box 214 Granville, IL 61326 |
Northrup King Co. 7500 Olson Memorial Hwy. Golden Valley, MN 55427 |
| New York Seed Improvement Co-op 249 Emerson Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 |
L.L. Olds Seed Co. P.O. Box 7790 Madison, WI 53707 |
| Oasis Seeds P.O. Box 107 Oasis, UT 84650 |
Payco Seeds P.O. Box 70 Dassel, MN 55325 |
| Peterson-Biddick P.O. Box 190 Wadena, MN 56482 |
Peterson Seed Co. P.O. Box 346 Savage, MN 55378 |
| Pioneer Hi-Bred Int'l, Inc. P.O. Box 287 Johnston, IA 50131 |
Plant Genetics, Inc. 1918 So. Middleton Rd. Nampa, ID 83686 |
| Renk Seed 6800 Wilburn Rd. Sun Prairie, WI 53590-9630 |
Research Seeds, Inc. P.O. Box 1393 St. Joseph, MO 64502 |
| Seedtec International P.O. Box 2210 Woodland, CA 95695 |
Stine Seeds, Inc. 2225 Laredo Trail Adel, IA 50003 |
| Terra International, Inc. 600 Fourth Street Sioux City, IA 51101 |
Union Seed Company P.O. Box 339 Nampa, ID 83653-0339 |
| Voris Seeds Inc. P.O. Box 457 Windfall, IN 46076 |
W-L Research, Inc. 2000 Oak Street Bakersfield, CA 93301 |
| Wyffels Hybrids P.O. Box 246 Atkinson, IL 61235-0246 |
|
Prepared by:
Landon H. Rhodes
Extension Plant Pathologist
John F. Underwood
District Agronomy Specialist
Paul R. Henderlong
Forage Agronomist
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868