Value-added Traits of Alfalfa

Value-added traits of alfalfa are needed to provide farmers new high value profitable products. Processing alfalfa to obtain value added products includes three different fractionation methods: 1) wet fractionation; separation into juice fraction and a fiber fraction, 2) dry fractionation; separation into leaves and stems, and 3) fractionation by passage of the whole herbage through the digestive systems of ruminant animals, leaving a high fiber residue. Phytase from transgenic alfalfa has been tested in poultry and swine rations. Chicks supplemented with phytase from transgenic alfalfa juice or leaf meal had growth equal to chicks fed phosphorus supplemented rations. The manure from these chicks supplemented with alfalfa phytase contained less than half the phosphorus levels of manure from chicks fed inorganic phosphorus supplements. The economic value of phytase alfalfa product could generate $750 to $1500/A income from alfalfa grown in the Midwest. Alfalfa hay can be fractionated to yield stems and leaf meal. Alfalfa leaf meal has been shown to be acceptable supplement to replace a portion of alfalfa hay and soybean meal in diets of lactating dairy cattle, replace protein supplement in beef cow diets, finishing steer diets and diets of growing turkeys. Current energy costs in this country limit the use of alfalfa stems to generate electricity from gasification. The fiber portion of alfalfa can produce lactic acid and ethanol. The fiber from alfalfa manure has yielded press board and water filters capable of removing heavy metals from contaminated water.