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Anthracnose Resistance Increases Alfalfa Yields¹

J. H. E., research agronomist, USDA, Field Crops Lab., Plant Genetics and Germplasm Inst., BARC, Beltsville, MD 20705; D. K.B., research geneticist, USDA, St. Paul, MN; T. H. B., president. Great Plains Research Co., Stillwater, OK (formerly with USDA, Raleigh, NC); G. R. B., associate professor, agronomy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA; N. A. C., professor, agronomy (retired), Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD; R. W. C., professor, plant breeding, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA; R. L. D., associate professor, agronomy, Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT; D. W. E., associate agronomist, Washington State Univ., Prosser, WA; S. C. F., graduate assistant, South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD (formerly forage agronomist, Kansas State Univ., Mound Valley, KS); R. D. H., professor, agronomy, Brigham Young Univ., Provo UT (formerly with Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO); O. J. H., research agronomist (retired), USDA, Reno, NV; W. R. K., research agronomist, USDA, Lincoln, NE; C. C. L., professor, forage breeding. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY; D. A. M., professor, plant breeding and genetics, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana IL; M. S. O., professor, legume breeding, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; R. C. P., professor, plant genetics, forages, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN; E. L. S., research agronomist, USDA, Manhattan, KS; C. M. T., professor, agronomy, Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK; M. B. T, professor, forage crops, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI; and R. W. V., professor, agronomy, Ohio Agric. Res. and Develop. Ctr., Wooster, OH.

Development of high levels of anthracnose (Colletotrichura trifolii Bain) resistance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in the early 1970's stimulated interest in obtaining estimates of the increased productivity associated with resistance. This paper reports the results of forage yield trials established at 24 locations in the eastern, midwestern, and western United States. Each trial included four pairs of anthracnose-susceptible and anthracnose-resistant bioindicator strains: 1) Glacier and Beltsville 1-An4, 2) Saranac and Beltsville 2-An4, 3) Vernal and Beltsville 3-An4, and 4) Team and Arc. Forge yields were recorded for 3 years at 18 locations and for 2 years at six locations. Average annual forage yields were significantly higher for the resistant strains than for the susceptible strains at 15 of the 24 locations, averaging 1.1 mt/ha/year (10%) greater for the resistant than for the susceptible strains. A 0.8 mt/ha/year (7%) yield advantage of resistant strains over susceptible strains was obtained over all 24 locations. These results clearly indicate the value of anthracnose-resistant alfalfa cultivars to U,S. agriculture.

Key Words: Medicago sativa L. • Colletotrichum trifolii Bain • Forage yields

Received for publication September 22, 1980.