Salinity is one of the major abiotic factors affecting alfalfa productivity. Identifying genes that control this complex trait will provide critical insights for alfalfa breeding programs. To date, no studies have been published on a deep sequencing-based profiling of the alfalfa transcriptome in response to salinity stress. Observations gathered through research on reference genomes may not al...

Rapid destruction of carotene occurs in alfalfa during the field curing process. The loss under good curing conditions may be 45 to 80 per cent of the carotene originally present (14). Hauge and Aitkenhead (5) and Hauge (6) presented evidence which indicates the presence of a carotenedestroying enzyme system in alfalfa. The belief that the destruction of carotene during field curing may be larg...

The novel food ingredient, alfalfa protein concentrate (APC), consists of a complex of protein (45-60 %), minerals (Ca, Fe, Mg), and vitamins (A, D, E, K). APC is extracted from lucerne (Medicago sativa spp. sativa) also known as alfalfa. Alfalfa is processed to first provide a press juice from which the proteins associated with carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments are separated by heat treatmen...

Freshly harvested alfalfa was fractionated using centrifugation and filtration, whereby alfalfa was separated into a fiber-rich cake and a nutrient-rich juice. The solid cakes from the above separation processes were used as the feedstock for ethanol production using separate hydrolysis and fermentation. The filtration process proved to be more efficient at reducing the solids mass transfer to ...

The bacterial leaf spot described here was first recognized on Turkestan and Grimm alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in two locations at Madison, Wis., in August 1930. The alfalfa in both instances was in cultivated experimental rows and had been repeatedly splashed bywatering with a garden hose. In October 1931 the disease recurred under similar circumstances at one of these locations, but with the...

Large portions of the central and southern Great Plains and the western U.S. are regularly plagued by drought and diminishing water resources for irrigation. Alfalfa cultivars adapted to these regions, and that can remain productive under reduced irrigation allotments, are clearly needed. This paper summarizes some of the work that has been conducted to develop alfalfa cultivars that are less s...

Attaining high-quality alfalfa hay is a critical aspect of profitability for alfalfa and animal productivity. Attributes of quality include energy, voluntary intake, CP, fiber and minerals. Forage quality has many attributes and should be evaluated through laboratory measurements and subjective observations such as odor mold and weed content. Measurements of plant cell wall (NDF), as well as AD...

The great importance of legume hay is recognized by everyone interested in livestock production. Because of this importance, it is highly desirable to obtain data on the nutritive value of the proteins in these hays when they are fed alone and when fed in combination with the protein of corn and other farm-grown grains. It is apparent that the great value of legume hays in stock feeding is larg...

Large portions of the Great Plains and the western U.S. are regularly plagued by drought and diminishing water resources for irrigation. Alfalfa cultivars adapted to these regions, and that can remain productive under reduced irrigation allotments, are clearly needed. This study evaluated the potential of using DNA marker assisted selection (MAS) technology to improve alfalfa forage productivit...