Exclusive Alfalfa Varieties

Impressive Yields.

Simplot Grower Solutions is proud to bring exclusive seed varieties with reliable forage quality and high yield potential. Our extensive line delivers the traits and technology you need to maximize profit potential. No matter your soil type or growing condition, our expert agronomists can find the right variety to fit your needs.

MPIII MaxQ™

• Later fall dormancy, excellent winterhardiness, fast recovery aftercutting, and excellent forage yield potential.

Pest Resistance 30/30

• Multiple pest resistance is an important feature of modern alfalfa varieties. This variety has been characterized for resistance to several important alfalfa pests. Pests can cause reduced forage yield, persistence and/or forage quality. Bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt, anthracnose, Phytophthora root rot, and Aphanomyces root rot are the six diseases most commonly associated with alfalfa stand loss in the U.S. The University of Wisconsin has developed a disease resistance index (DRI) to measure combined resistance to the six major diseases (Table 1).

Fall Dormancy and Winterhardiness

Fall dormancy and winterhardiness ratings help determine where a variety isbest adapted. Later fall dormant types are, in general, better suited to take advantage of the longer growing season typical of some production areas. Winterhardy types are recommended in areas where winter injury is common. In older varieties winterhardiness was closely related to early fall dormancy and slower recovery after cutting. These relationships made it difficult to combine high yield potential and good winterhardiness. This variety is the product of a selection program designed to change the fall dormancy/winterhardiness relationship. The result is a new generation of products that combine later fall dormancy, excellent winterhardiness, fast recovery after cutting, and excellent forage yield potential.

Standard tests are used to measure fall dormancy and winterhardiness in a WH nursery in the first and second years, respectively. A persistence index is measured in the third year. Recovery after cutting was rated visually ten days after a July cutting in West Salem, WI, variety trials. Fall dormancy is rated (1-9) with 1=earliest dormant and 9=non-dormant. Winterhardiness is rated (1-6) with 1=most hardy and 6=non-hardy. 

Table 2 summarizes ratings for fall dormancy, winterhardiness, and recovery after cutting of this variety compared with standard and commercial checks. Fall dormancy, winterhardiness, and persistence ratings are the mean of two trials (West Salem and Boone, IA).

*Standard checks

GS 47M Alfalfa

High-Quality FD4, Yields Like an FD5

• Excellent seedling vigor
• Proven & strong winter hardiness
• High resistance to stem nematode & most major alfalfa diseases
• Cutting cycle 28-34 days