Twenty four alfalfa varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 8 or 9 were tested in a replicated small plot trial on a heavy clay loam soil on the Safford Agricultural Center. This was the third year of a new study. CUF JUL only had the heaviest yield in two out of the seven cuttings, but had the highest overall yield for the year at 10.3 tons per acre. Cuf 101 also had the highest average yield over the three years of the study. Heat units with thresholds of 77° F and 40° F are included for each cutting in the study.

No description available.

Twenty four alfalfa varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 8 or 9 were tested in a replicated small plot trial on a heavy clay loam soil on the Safford Agricultural Center. This was the fifth and final year of the study. Prestige was the highest yielding variety in 2000, but that still left it in sixth place behind Cuf 101 and WL 91-224F, which averaged 8.25 tons per acre over the five years of the study. Heat units with thresholds of 77° F and 41° F are included for each cutting in the study and percent of final stand count are recorded.

Twenty six alfalfa varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 8 or 9 were tested in a replicated small plot trial on a sandy clay loam soil on the Safford Agricultural Center. This was the second year of the study. Coronado was the highest yielding variety in 2000 with Mecca III following closely behind. Both varieties produced a yield over 9 tons per acre and averaged 9.3 tons per acre over the 2-year period.

Twenty six alfalfa varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 8 or 9 were tested in a replicated small plot trial on a sandy clay loam soil on the Safford Agricultural Center. This was the fourth year of the study. Coronado was the highest yielding variety in 2002 with Mecca III and ZX9393 following closely behind. All three varieties produced a yield over 6 tons per acre and averaged over 8 tons per acre over the 4-year period.

No description available.

New alfalfa varieties are constantly being introduced into the marketplace. The number of varieties available for low-elevation desert areas in Arizona in the non-dormant and very non-dormant class is about 46. 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. The data contained in this report are also available at http://www.ag.arizona.edu/~azalfalf/yield/2000/. A summary of small grain variety trials conducted by the University of Arizona can be found online at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/crops/az1267.pdf.

Five alfalfa varieties (CUF 101, SW 14, SW8210, Pioneer 5888, and a grower selection originating from CUF 101 and noted as Baldwin Select) that were planted in October, 1994, into large plots (0.75 acres) to obtain actual field harvest data production during the years of 1995-1997. Varietal hay yields were very similar in 1995 until mid summer, when area soil temperatures reached above 100°F at the four inch depth for a period of about 6 weeks. During the summer months Baldwin Select had significantly higher yields than other varieties tested. Statistical differences in accumulated hay yields were noted beginning in August 1995 and continued through 1997. Baldwin Select was the highest yielding variety each year, producing 8.4% more than CUF 101 during this time period, worth $247/acre more an acre than CUf 101. Alfalfa varieties were similar in relative feed value. Yellowing from Empoasca spp. leafhoppers was greatest during the 1995-1996 winter on varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 9 or greater. Weed infestations during late summer 1996 appear inversely correlated with fall dormancy class. All varieties of dormancy classes 8 and 9 were almost 100% infested with weeds during September 1997, although Baldwin Select had significantly less infestation. Differences in plant populations in late September 1997 also appear to be correlated with fall dormancy class.

Twenty four alfalfa varieties with fall dormancy ratings of 8 or 9 were tested in a replicated small plot trial on a heavy clay loam soil on the Safford Agricultural Center. This was the second year of a new study. UC 331 had the highest yield for the year but CUF 101 had the highest average yield. Heat units with thresholds of 77° F and 40° F are included for each cutting in the study.

Nine alfalfa varieties, most not previously tested under field conditions in Arizona, were planted October 29, 1997 using the same setting on a Great Plains Solid Stand 13 End Wheel drill. Varieties differed in lbs. of seed/acre planted, ranging from 28.0 for CUF 101 to 21.3 for Alto. Five cuttings were obtained through August 1998. The variety Alto yielded the most hay in the first and fourth cuttings and had the highest total yield from the first five harvests. Varieties with fall dormancy class ratings of 8 usually had higher yields than varieties of dormancy 9 during the spring and early summer growing season, which was below normal in temperature, resulting in class 8 dormancies having the highest total yields thus far.