Alfalfa is the primary forage crop in Wisconsin and is a key element in the state’s dairy industry. The yield of new varieties is greater than that of Vernal and other older varieties due to genetic gains made by breeders over the years. Much of the yield advantage of new varieties may be attributed to efforts to breed for resistance to a wide variety of major pathogens of alfalfa such as Verti...

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of calcium salt of long-chain fatty acids (CSFA) and alfalfa on beef cattle in the late fattening. 48 Holstein bulls were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups, feeding four dietary that Leymus chinensis with (LC) or with no (LN) 2.4% CSFA, and alfalfa replaced 50% Leymus chinensis with (AC) or with no (AN) 2.4% CSFA. The results indicat...

Five feeding studies were conducted with 141 lactating Holstein cows comparing macerated and control alfalfa silage harvested at two cuttings in each of 2 yr. Overall, silage made from macerated alfalfa contained more ash (suggesting improved soil contamination); greater fiber and lower nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) content suggested greater fermentation in the silo. In a digestion study, two diets...

The reproductive factor (R = final egg density at 55 days / 5,000, initial egg density) of Meloidogyne chitwoodi race 2 (alfalfa race) on 46 crop cultivars ranged from 0 to 130. The reproductive efficiency of M. chitwoodi race 1 (non-alfalfa race) and M. chitwoodi race 2 was compared on selected crop cultivars. The basic difference between the two races lay in their differential reproduction on...

Phosphorus (P) released from plants after freezing at the end of the growing season may be a contributor to P in runoff from agricultural landscapes. We evaluated P release from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and mixed grass species [mainly quackgrass (Agropyron repens)] after freezing or drying in laboratory and field studies. Freezing released 18-30 % of the total P as dissolved reactive P (DRP...

Biomass yield, salt tolerance and drought tolerance are important targets for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) improvement. Medicago truncatula has been developed into a model plant for alfalfa and other legumes. By screening a Tnt1 retrotransposon-tagged M. truncatula mutant population, we identified three mutants with enhanced branching. Branch development determines shoot architecture which affe...

Biotechnology is concentrated in two evolving research areas, genomics and transgenics. For the genomics approach, molecular markers combined with sequencing data, high throughput machinery, and sophisticated data analysis allow determinations of complex gene expression. The use of an annual relative of cultivated alfalfa, Medicago truncatula, as the reference species for all legumes is likewis...

The key chemical analysis used to estimate the energy value of alfalfa hay for trading purposes, ADF (acid detergent fiber), has been supplanted by NDF (neutral detergent fiber) as the key chemical analysis used by nutritionists to evaluate the fibrosity and energy value of alfalfa hay for nutritional purposes. It is important that the alfalfa hay trading industry abandon ADF, as it will genera...

BACKGROUND: Ensiling forages often leads to degradation of protein to non-protein nitrogen (NPN), which is poorly utilized by ruminants. Postharvest protein degradation is especially high in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). In contrast, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) has up to 90% less protein loss during ensiling due to polyphenol oxidase (PPO) forming o-quinones from endogenous o-diphenols a...