Alfalfa Product Development

The mission of the Pioneer Alfalfa Research program is to satisfy customer needs for increased efficiency and profitability. Developing superior proprietary alfalfa varieties is the means to that end for production agriculture, and in creating value in feed and industrial systems.

The goals of the Pioneer Alfalfa Research team are to:

Improve harvestable yield.
Improve persistence by selecting for improved winter hardiness, disease and insect resistance.
Create more value through higher quality forage.

Researchers strive to improve Pioneer® brand alfalfa products through conventional plant breeding, biotechnology, pathology, entomology and nematology. The research team uses techniques in the laboratory, greenhouse and field to develop consistently high-performing products that meet various grower needs.

Highlights of Pioneer Alfalfa Research:

Wide-Area Testing - Each year, Pioneer alfalfa researchers harvest more than 8,000 yield test plots to measure product performance in various environments. Hundreds of crosses and selections are made each year to assure the development of superior, proprietary varieties.

Persistence - Harsh winters can seriously deplete alfalfa stands. Pioneer alfalfa researchers are developing varieties that tolerate these tough conditions. Also, improved varieties are being developed for resistance to 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 - Alfalfa growers lose millions of dollars each year due to leafhopper damage. 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, including Pioneer® variety 54H55, which demonstrates resistance to a new biotype of blue aphid. This new biotype is present in the south central part of the United States.

Forage Quality - Pioneer alfalfa researchers take up to 10,000 field samples each year to evaluate the forage quality of products and parents, and are using state-of-the-art testing procedures in the lab to measure forage quality. 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.

Alfalfa Research Locations by Region
North America	2