Bridgeview alfalfa

Abstract

Acharya, S. N. and Steppuhn, H. 2012. Bridgeview alfalfa. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 203–206. Bridgeview salt tolerant alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was developed by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta in cooperation with the salt laboratory at Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This synthetic cultivar, tested as SC-A101 in the Western Forage Testing System (WFTest), was developed for improved seedling vigor and high forage yield under saline conditions. This cultivar yielded about 1% better than Beaver check in the WFTest over 36 location years. The pedigree of this cultivar consists of saline tolerant selections from Apica, AC Blue J, Barrier, Beaver, Heinrichs, Rangelander and Roamer alfalfa. This cultivar produced higher dry matter yield than Beaver in the third year of a test conducted in a naturally saline seep area in Vauxhall, AB. SC-A101 was found to perform significantly higher emergence, survival and biomass production than Rangelander alfalfa in an indoor test at salt levels higher than 16 dS m−8. Bridgeview was registered by CFIA on 2011 May 16 (Reg. No. 7018) and was licensed to SeCan for seed multiplication and distribution. This cultivar is well suited for hay production in western Canada.