Alfalfa is widely grown throughout the world, primarily as feed for dairy cattle, thanks to its high protein content and highly digestible fiber. It's also fed to beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats. While most often harvested as hay, it can also be grazed, fed as greenchop or made into silage.

In most climates, alfalfa is cut three to four times a year. But in Arizona and Southern California, it can be harvested up to 12 times per year. Yields vary with region, weather, and the crop's stage of maturity when cut. Later cuttings improve yield but reduce nutritional content.  A typical total yield is 4 short tons per acre.

Pioneer first began its work in alfalfa in 1958 through a partnership with California-based alfalfa company, Arnold-Thomas. This relationship allowed Pioneer to offer high quality, improved alfalfa varieties to customers. Improved product offerings allowed Pioneer to expand the alfalfa business, and Idaho-based Agri-Con, as well as the Arnold-Thomas breeding program were purchased in 1975 to boost overall seed production and breeding capacity.

Today, Pioneer has two research stations for alfalfa breeding and is one of a handful of seed companies actively breeding and producing alfalfa seed. Breeding efforts are focused on developing superior-performing varieties through improved yield, winterhardiness and stand persistence in the North American market. Alfalfa is sold as part of an overall forage product line that includes corn silage and inoculants products. Pioneer also produces non-dormant alfalfa for countries where non-dormant alfalfa is grown.

Researchers at Pioneer Hi-Bred continue to satisfy customer needs for increased efficiency and profitability with superior proprietary alfalfa. Some of our product development includes:

Wide-Area Testing – Each year, 7,000 yield test plots of Pioneer® brand varieties are harvested to measure performance in various environments, assuring the development of superior, proprietary varieties.

Persistence – Researchers are developing varieties that tolerate harsh winters and resist anthracnose, Phytopthora root rot, Verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, Aphanomyces root rot (races 1 and 2), root-knot nematode and stem nematode.

Insect Resistance – Pioneer researchers are leading the way in the effort to provide alfalfa varieties with Leafhopper Stopper® technology, which can help customers maintain yields under leafhopper pressure and reduce costs of scouting and spraying. Resistant alfalfa varieties are also being developed for pea, spotted and blue aphids.

Forage Quality – Pioneer alfalfa researchers take up to 9,000 field samples each year to evaluate the forage quality of products and parents. Near infrared spectroscopy is used to evaluate the nutritional quality of alfalfa products in the early development stages. In addition, researchers are selecting new varieties with improved digestibility.