„Alfalfa is a very old plant on Earth. It was brought to us from other countries, far from here, from the East, where it grows wild, as we grow wild mustard and oats. Alfalfa is well-liked in our country as in all countries in the South. Although our winters are a bit cold, she, if she has enough heat in the summer -as she always has with us-, it works great. So one of the assets of this plant is that it is suitable everywhere in our country.”

A. Carabella-Giurgiu – „Everything that can be said about alfalfa”, 1910

With a tradition of over a century and a half, alfalfa culture occupies a leading place in our country. The choice of alfalfa variety is an extremely important detail in the alfalfa crop equation. Romanian alfalfa varieties have demonstrated over time a higher productive potential, due to their adaptation to climatic conditions of Romania. The high resistance to drought and frost, but also the large amount of fodder harvested are just a few features that recommend the local varieties.

The alfalfa varieties described below are our bet for a successful crop.

MĂDĂLINA

• It is a variety of alfalfa obtained by the Fundulea National Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, approved in Romania and Russia;
• It has a very high ecological plasticity and is adapted to different growing conditions;
• It is cultivated in areas with sunny arable lands, with deep, permeable and well aerated soils from the Romanian Plain, the Danube Meadow and Delta, the Transylvanian Plain, the Western Plain, including the Banat Plain, but also higher areas;
• The fodder is used as a green mass, hay and silo;
• The production potential is high (12 – 21 t / ha S.U._ and 60 – 110 t / ha of green mass);
• Maximum yield is obtained with irrigation.

SANDRA

• It is a semi-early variety with resistance to drought;
• It is a variety cultivated successfully both in the plain area, and in the plateau area of ​​our country;
• It has a long service life of 4-5 years;
• The plant develops a favorable leaf / stem ratio. The nutritional value of the fodder is high, as well as the productive potential (12 – 15 tons / hectare with the classic technology and 16 – 19 tons / hectare with the intensive technology);
• The feed is used under the form of hay, green mass or silage;
• Under favorable conditions, a quantity of seed of 500 – 780 kg per hectare can be obtained.

MIHAELA

• The Mihaela alfalfa variety is characterized by high quality, production and adaptability;
• It is cultivated on a large area in most plains in Romania due to high resistance to drought in summer;
• Hay has special features:
• 19.85% protein;
• 1450 kcal / kg S.U.;
• 71% digestibility.
• Mihaela is a variety with a good tolerance to Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum);
• The inflorescence is oval-globular-shaped, the flowers are blue-purple;
• It has good perennials and it is recommended for being cultivated mixed with perennial grasses;
• The seed has a mass between 2 and 2.2 grams for 1,000 grains.

ROXANA

• It is a Romanian alfalfa variety that is cultivated mainly in the plain area, but with good results in the hilly area;
• It has high resistance to low temperatures without a layer of snow. The variety has a rich foliage and high protein content;
• The amount of hay is estimated between 14-20 tons per hectare;
• The feed has the following characteristics:
  • Crude protein: 19.68% of S.U.;
  • Digestibility coefficient: 72%;
  • Nutritional units 0.95 U.N. / kg S.U.
• The seed obtained per hectare is between 400 – 800 kilograms in optimal conditions.
• It has a good ability to regenerate after being mowed.

4AG07

• High production potential;
• Resistance to drought;
• Rapid regeneration.

This newly created variety is the result of the collaboration between Patru Agro and the Department of Forage Plants at USAMV Bucharest. The variety is being tested in year 3 at the State Institute for Variety Testing and Registration (ISTIS) in Romania. The tests looked at the productivity of this variety, but also at other extremely important properties, such as regeneration capacity, resistance to drought, resistance to falling and resistance to diseases. The positive results obtained in the test fields certify the superior qualities of the variety.

Basic biological properties of variety 4AG07 obtained in the ISTIS network in year 1 (2016)

Variety 4AG07 is noted for its high resistance to drought and falling. Maximum resistance to drought in year 1 reduces farmers’ risks of setting up an alfalfa crop in dry years, when water shortages can be a determining factor in its success. The biological properties in the second year of the 4AG07 variety make it stand out also from the viewpoint of the regeneration capacity, but also of the other biological properties, aspects that in the end are reflected in the superior production increase.

Results from year 2 (2017)

Scoring system: 1 – very good, 3 – good, 5 – medium, 7 – poor, 9 – very poor.