ARIZONA COOPERATIVE ALFALFA FORAGE YIELD TRIAL

2012-2014

Background information on alfalfa yield trials at Tucson, AZ

The Arizona Cooperative Alfalfa Forage Yield Trial Program, which is administered by the Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station and Arizona Cooperative Extension, conducts forage yield trials at the University of Arizona's Campus Agriculture Center (CAC). CAC is located at an elevation of 2500 feet, approximately 5 miles north of the University of Arizona Campus in Tucson. Very nondormant cultivars are well adapted to this environment, which is typical of agricultural areas of central and western Arizona where 8 to 10 harvests of alfalfa are common each year and stands typically remain productive for 2 to 4 years. All fields at CAC are laser-leveled and alfalfa is irrigated using border-strip methods on sandy loam soils. Total dissolved salts in irrigation water range from about 400 to 800 ppm. Planting, harvest, and data reporting procedures will be as in the 2010-2012 trial.

Experimental conditions and data reporting

Each 12 foot long plot in these four-replication trials contains five rows spaced 6 inches apart. The equivalent of 20 pounds per acre was sown (7.5 g per plot, 30 g total) using a cone seeder on 12 March 2013. Plots are harvested with a Jari mower and weighed fresh. Plots are arranged so that wheel traffic does not confound evaluation of performance. All cultural practices common on farms in central Arizona are typically followed at CAC.

Results are updated following each harvest on this website. Updates include the yields in the most recent harvest as well as the running total yield. Yields are presented on the basis of tons of dry forage (88% dry matter) per acre. Data will be distributed to cooperators as requested and published in the Forage and Grain Report, which is widely distributed by Arizona Cooperative Extension personnel.

The trial is located within a 30 minute drive of Tucson International Airport and all cooperators are welcome to visit the trial. If you have any questions, contact Steve Smith at azalfalf@ag.arizona.edu

Yield data

Mixed-model analysis for a randomized complete block design is used with nearest-neighbor yields used as a covariate (see Casler, M.D. 1999. Spatial variation affects precision of perennial cool-season forage grass trials. Agron. J. 91:75-81). Least-squares means from the mixed-model analysis are presented in order of decreasing total yield. The estimate for the residual is used to generate the least significant difference value reported.

NOTE: DUE TO UNUSUALLY LOW WINTER AND SPRING TEMPERATURES THE FIRST HARVEST WAS DELAYED UNTIL 15 JULY 2013

Forage yields reported as tons of dry matter (12% moisture)/acre.

Entry 15-Jul-13 15-Aug-13 12-Sep-13 10-Oct-13 12-Dec-13 2013 25-Feb-14 3-Apr-14 16-May-14 17-Jun-14 10-Jul-14 12-Aug-14 4-Sep-14 16-Oct-14 11-Dec-14 2014 TOTAL Final stand (plts/ft2)
Un Padre 2.301 2.958 2.619 2.442 2.553 13.021 3.456 2.848 3.231 3.419 2.997 3.206 1.921 2.151 2.067 25.504 38.369 5.06
CW 089050 2.329 3.043 2.556 2.367 2.350 12.753 3.336 2.800 3.121 3.463 2.975 3.325 1.878 2.125 2.002 25.073 38.053 4.97
WL656HQ 2.491 3.033 2.611 2.370 2.301 13.014 3.209 2.835 3.213 3.587 2.996 3.188 1.970 2.048 1.802 24.688 38.019 5.06
8208H 2.526 3.142 2.516 2.363 2.253 12.967 3.144 2.821 3.074 3.439 2.920 3.204 1.812 2.145 1.933 24.555 37.449 5.31
Tres Padres 2.383 2.813 2.552 2.384 2.439 12.615 3.418 2.866 3.178 3.455 2.792 3.003 1.865 2.083 1.923 24.492 37.447 4.88
9202H 2.564 2.930 2.382 2.236 2.160 12.275 3.055 2.814 3.082 3.416 3.040 3.212 1.881 1.976 1.813 24.384 36.813 4.78
S2 2.678 3.227 2.502 2.250 2.250 12.914 3.169 2.859 3.199 3.556 2.726 2.861 1.873 1.887 1.772 23.973 36.763 5.00
WL712 2.360 2.833 2.358 2.277 2.463 12.287 3.257 2.783 3.176 3.514 2.998 2.934 1.904 1.871 1.834 24.211 36.565 4.44
9203H 2.507 2.914 2.475 2.226 2.322 12.361 3.155 2.728 3.029 3.349 2.922 2.972 1.869 2.067 1.937 24.031 36.238 4.88
9212m 2.458 2.880 2.399 2.277 2.195 12.144 2.987 2.759 3.003 3.559 3.063 3.158 1.834 2.143 1.765 24.440 36.235 4.91
9204H 2.417 2.889 2.448 2.281 2.212 12.370 3.009 2.762 3.130 3.623 2.868 2.990 1.742 2.014 1.727 23.445 36.156 4.56
CW 060046 2.166 2.667 2.423 2.264 2.205 11.751 3.055 2.752 3.107 3.573 2.820 3.127 1.928 2.108 1.844 24.385 36.108 5.34
CW 050085 2.229 2.724 2.307 2.277 2.312 11.764 3.104 2.766 3.191 3.476 3.053 3.088 1.810 1.978 1.837 24.334 35.845 4.63
CW 040042 2.323 2.923 2.500 2.253 2.136 12.130 3.161 2.645 2.880 3.252 2.865 3.374 1.843 2.031 1.704 24.285 35.749 5.09
8205H 2.661 3.128 2.493 2.277 2.019 12.476 3.039 2.828 2.935 3.231 2.717 3.067 1.893 1.993 1.693 23.449 35.740 5.03
9206H 2.478 2.832 2.293 2.236 2.233 11.957 3.084 2.687 2.944 3.277 2.861 2.927 1.937 1.861 1.724 23.513 34.844 4.88
AR-3 2.291 2.841 2.302 2.167 2.147 11.731 2.987 2.718 2.922 3.133 2.802 2.966 1.916 1.919 1.785 23.406 34.778 4.78
Lew 2.074 2.765 2.314 2.236 2.305 11.709 3.068 2.649 2.896 3.120 2.701 2.951 1.847 1.989 1.796 22.913 34.664 4.50
CUF-101 1.938 2.391 2.262 2.174 2.270 10.948 3.107 2.718 2.875 3.287 2.922 3.093 1.855 1.884 1.775 23.635 34.404 4.59
AR 324 2.330 2.640 2.318 2.105 2.184 11.607 2.910 2.656 2.838 3.220 2.779 2.936 1.738 1.803 1.606 22.624 34.232 4.66
S3 2.495 2.736 2.206 2.095 2.109 11.439 2.991 2.694 2.941 3.220 2.721 2.830 1.890 1.768 1.597 22.989 33.868 4.38
S4 2.255 2.743 2.209 2.085 2.002 11.134 2.702 2.597 2.793 3.139 2.832 2.881 1.962 1.816 1.579 22.398 33.199 4.53
AR-12 2.032 2.486 2.311 2.050 1.926 10.746 2.918 2.570 2.655 2.998 2.600 2.664 1.586 1.901 1.700 23.714 31.799 3.94
S1 2.195 2.452 2.059 1.830 1.861 10.358 2.764 2.315 2.481 2.763 2.244 2.579 1.794 1.577 1.419 21.293 29.707 4.13
                                     
CV (%) 7.745 8.737 7.758 5.361 5.942 5.996 6.805 5.865 7.232 7.813 8.433 6.976 8.806 6.323 6.260 3.654 5.577 8.632
LSD (5%) 0.258 0.346 0.262 0.167 0.184 1.002 0.291 0.222 0.301 0.363 0.337 0.292 0.231 0.175 0.155 1.214 2.762 0.60