By Nick Paulson
A drought-tolerant alfalfa variety that boosts yields and may save New Mexico and Texas growers irrigation water should be commercially available this fall.
It’s a promising development that should lead to better future varieties, says Ian Ray, director of New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Alfalfa Breeding and Genetics Program.
The NuMex Bill Melton variety produces up to 14% more yield than traditional varieties grown in the same drought conditions, according to NMSU field-trial results.
When irrigated only every 28 days, NuMex averaged 6.4 tons/acre and 6.6 tons/acre at two New Mexico sites during three-year trials. Those yields compared to 5.7 ton/acre and 5.8 ton/acre averages, respectively, for Wilson, an older alfalfa variety also bred for improved drought tolerance.
“Some folks might say that’s not very much, but it … can make a difference,” says Robert Flynn, an NMSU Extension agronomist who works on the project. “It is putting more money onto the field.”
NuMex also performs well in normal growing conditions. Its average yields have ranged from 8.3 tons/acre in its northern region of adaptation to 9.7 tons/acre in southern regions when moisture is sufficient.
Ray speculates that the variety may develop a strong root system early on, which helps locate soil moisture to support shoot growth over a long period of time.
NMSU researchers developed NuMex over 12 years as they used traditional crossbreeding techniques to select for drought tolerance and vigor. They also bred in resistance to two diseases, phytophthora root rot and anthracnose.
He hesitates to recommend the fall dormancy 7 variety to growers outside of the unique New Mexico and Texas Panhandle climates for which it was developed.
“If someone wants to test it in a new environment, try it on a limited scale,” he says. “Buy a bag of seed and see how it goes. Then, if it works, scale up.”
NMSU’s trial results, and several years of drought, have regional growers anxious for seed to hit the market. Justin Boswell, executive director of the New Mexico Hay Association, is excited, not only by the potential for increased yields, but also by the chance to save money on irrigation.
Click here to see more...