Pioneer brand alfalfa varieties with HarvXtra technology are available to growers for spring and fall planting. These varieties have significant lignin reductions, enabling farmers to achieve higher quality hay and forage compared to varieties without the technology.
“These varieties are part of the DuPont Pioneer commitment to improving forage quality at every stage,” says Dan Wiersma, DuPont Pioneer alfalfa business manager. “They increase the level of forage digestibility by 10 to 15 percent, which leads to higher energy in forage diets and may result in more milk production.”
In addition to increased benefits for cattle, the new varieties also offer strong agronomic benefits, producing high yields with resistance to multiple diseases. All Pioneer brand alfalfa products with HarvXtra technology contain the Genuity Roundup Ready trait for weed control and have strong winter hardiness profiles. This trait package has shown no impact on lodging resistance compared to most varieties without HarvXtra technology.
“These top-performing products give growers more flexibility at cutting time, based on the needs of their operation,” Wiersma says. “The HarvXtra technology enables growers to maintain their harvest schedule routines and obtain peak quality level, and they can even delay harvest by a few days to obtain higher tonnage without sacrificing acceptable forage quality.”
