The dormancy for alfalfa is given by the height of the plant 25 days after the harvest, for the culture established in spring.
To determine the degree of dormancy, a grading system from 1 to 11 is used. The varieties with dormancy 1 are the most dormant and those with dormancy 11 are the least dormant.
Long-dormant varieties easily survive harsh winters and survive low temperatures, but do not excel in fodder production.
The less dormant varieties achieve high fodder yields, materialized as a larger number of mowing activities, but are not very resistant to frost.
For the Romanian climate, after several years of research it was concluded that the varieties with a dormancy between 4 and 5 are the most efficient. This range ensures a good balance between fodder production and resistance to low temperatures.