Comparative characteristics of yellow alfalfa accessions in the nursery of competitive variety testing

Abstract

In the context of the progressive trend of aridization of the climate of the main agricultural regions in the forest-steppe and steppe zones, the problem of increasing and stabilizing the high productivity of forage crops is becoming more acute. Yellow alfalfa (Medicago falcata L.) is highly resistant to abiotic stresses such as drought and low temperatures. This crop is resistant to extremely stressful conditions for cultivation in arid conditions, high production potential for the production of various types of bulky forage. The limiting factor of the effective economic use of yellow alfalfa in the Central Black Earth region of Russia is the insufficient number of zoned varieties, only three. The zoned varieties of alfalfa that exist today do not fully meet the requirements of modern forage production, and the tasks of developing new varieties with increased productivity, competitive ability in grass mixtures and increased longevity are becoming urgent. A highly productive variety of yellow alfalfa Pavlovskaya 7 was previously created at the Voronezh Experimental Station for perennial grasses. The Pavlovskaya 7 variety is characterized by high resistance to fungal diseases and mycoplasmosis, drought resistance, and long (up to 12 years) productive longevity. Currently, the station is completing selection work to develop a new variety of yellow alfalfa with a complex of economically valuable traits and properties for conditions of insufficient moisture.