A RETAILERS’ ROADMAP TO NAVIGATING THE MODERN MARKETPLACE 20 GERMINATION.CA JULY 2017 KEEPINGUPWITHALFALFAADVANCES IN THE WORLD of forage seed, alfalfa is getting a lot of press these days, due in part to a GE variety that has sparked renewed interest in the world of alfalfa seed. Even before the U.S.-based Forage Genetics International (FGI) began selling its HarvXtra alfalfa seed with Roundup Ready technology to farm- ers in Eastern Canada in 2016, the alfalfa industry was split on the issue of whether doing so was a good idea. On one side, alfalfa seed produc- ers in the West feared contamination risk they said could pose a danger to alfalfa seed exports. In the East, grow- ers wanted the ability to grow herbi- cide tolerant alfalfa for livestock feed. In the end, FGI decided to go ahead and launch the product in the East for hay production only. It’s currently not being sold in Western Canada. Despite the controversy, the issue served to put alfalfa back in the spotlight. “It’s what often gets lost when people talk about alfalfa — the conventional side and some of the strides being made there,” says Erick Lutterotti, general manager of Gold Medal Seeds in Brooks, Alta. (a sub- sidiary of FGI) and vice-chair of the Canadian Seed Trade Association’s Forage and Turf Committee. Winter Hardiness Especially exciting for Lutterotti are new varieties of multifoliate alfalfa that have been bred to be very winter hardy. “That’s the big thing in conven- tional alfalfa.” Winter hardiness is determined by an alfalfa variety’s ability to with- stand cold temperatures. The lower the rating for winter hardiness, the greater the ability of the plant to sur- vive the winter months. Winter hardiness ratings indicate the potential longevity of the alfalfa stand. Lutterotti notes that although fall dormancy is related to winter hardi- ness, the latter is separate from fall dormancy. In recent years, breeders have been successful at separating winter hardiness from fall dormancy. “In the past, multifoliate alfalfas came with a 4 or 5 fall dormancy rating, meaning it wakes up early and goes to bed late. For people south of Lethbridge, you’d get three or four cuts per year, maybe a fourth,” Lutterotti says. “Inherently, creeping-rooted alfalfa was the most winter hardy there was, but those varieties were best suited for lower-yielding two-cut systems. Whether it’s new conventional varieties with better winter hardiness and disease resistance, or a new GE product with herbicide resistance and improved fibre digestibility, there’s a lot happening in the alfalfa seed market. Here’s a snapshot of the latest advances and what’s coming down the pipe. Marc Zienkiewicz Like breeders of most other crops, alfalfa breeders are working to boost yields. The key to doing so is lowering the dormancy, but this can have unwanted effects on alfalfa persistence. Photo courtesy Annie Claessens