Variety performance review
WL Alfalfa Fall Dormancy 9 in the California.
- Good
- Forage Genetics International (WL)
- Fall Dormancy 9
Regional strengths
Fall dormancy 9 is appropriate for the Central Valley and Southern California where winter rest is short and stand life is driven by total cuttings per year. UC Davis runs an active alfalfa variety trial program that publishes head-to-head data including FD 8–11 entries.
Regional weaknesses
FD 9 cannot be moved into cold-winter regions — winter kill is essentially guaranteed in any region with sustained sub-freezing temperatures. Salinity tolerance is variety-specific and not all FD 9 lines are appropriate for west-side Central Valley fields with elevated soil salinity.
Yield data
Trial-verified performance.
Average yield
— tons/acre
Data quality
company reported
Agronomic ratings
Drought tolerance
fair
Standability
good
Emergence
good
Winter hardiness
fair
Disease resistance
- Bacterial wilt:good
- Phytophthora root rot:good
- Stem nematode:good
- Pea aphid:fair
Best for
- Central Valley irrigated alfalfa
- Imperial Valley year-round cutting systems
Not recommended for
- any region with cold winters (consider FD 4–6)
- high-salinity fields without verifying salinity tolerance
Best soil types
alluvial loam (Central Valley), irrigated loam
Seeding rate
20–25 lb/acre on prepared irrigated seedbed
Data quality & sources
Quality: company-reported · Last updated 2024.
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