DLF: Exceptional performance of Alfalfa in unfavourable Swedish soils

Date:11-01-2017

What happens when you grow alfalfa and red clover in soils that are not typically associated with alfalfa?

Alfalfa produces a better yield than red clover in your unfavourable soils

Even if your climate and soil aren't ideal for alfalfa, there's a good chance alfalfa will still give you a better yield than red clover. That's the outcome of a two-year research project recently undertaken at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science.

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences tested several varieties of alfalfa grown in soils that weren't typically good for it. They also grew the red clover variety Titus under the same conditions. Throughout the tests they measured the yields, the sugar and protein contents, and the proportions of digestible and non-digestible protein.


Creno, Daphne and Ludelis – three varieties of alfalfa for non-typical soils

Alfalfa normally does best in a deep well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. In northern regions, however, this soil type is uncommon. But that doesn't mean you can't grow alfalfa profitably. The Swedish researchers found that two alfalfa varieties, DLF's Creno and Daphne, produced excellent results compared to red clover when grown in unfavourable soils.

Creno did particularly well. Although its yield was similar in 1st year of harvest to that of the red clover variety Titus, Creno produced app 3000 kg/ha more than Titus did in 2nd year of harvest. And that's just the gross yield. Creno's protein concentration and protein digestibility were also well ahead of Titus in 2nd year of harvest.

Another DLF variety, Daphne, also performed better than Titus, proving that both Creno and Daphne would be good choices for the harsh Nordic climate and soil.

A third DLF variety called Ludelis was another strong performer. Ludelis did particularly well in unfavourable environments with sandy soils and a low pH.


Great results from DLF's alfalfa breeding programme

DLF has achieved such good results for alfalfa after acquiring, in 2016, the alfalfa breeding programme and commercial alfalfa seed activities of Florimond Desprez. DLF continues to expand its alfalfa portfolio by developing a string of high-performance alfalfa varieties.

To learn more about promising alfalfa varieties, visit DLF's alfalfa programme online.