Let’s understand better the dormancy phenomenon for alfalfa

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.