Variety performance review
WL Alfalfa Fall Dormancy 4 in the Corn Belt North.
- Good
- Forage Genetics International (WL)
- Fall Dormancy 4
- GMO
Trait package: HarvXtra (in some lines), Roundup Ready (in some lines)
Regional strengths
Fall dormancy 4 is the standard winter-hardy choice for the Northern Corn Belt — these varieties go dormant early enough to harden off for winter without sacrificing yield potential during the growing season. Stand persistence in MN, WI, MI commonly exceeds 4 years on well-drained soils.
Regional weaknesses
FD 4 in extremely cold winters (sub-zero with no snow cover) can still suffer winter injury — for the coldest pockets of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, FD 2 or FD 3 with very high winter survival ratings is a safer pick. On poorly-drained soils, Aphanomyces and Phytophthora can shorten stand life regardless of FD.
Yield data
Trial-verified performance.
Average yield
— tons/acre
Data quality
company reported
Agronomic ratings
Drought tolerance
good
Standability
good
Emergence
good
Winter hardiness
excellent
Disease resistance
- Bacterial wilt:good
- Verticillium wilt:good
- Anthracnose:good
- Aphanomyces root rot:good
Best for
- dairy and beef forage acres
- well-drained Mollisol soils
- 4-cut systems
Not recommended for
- poorly-drained heavy clay
- extreme north (consider FD 2–3 with elite winter survival)
Best soil types
well-drained silt loam, loam, loess
Seeding rate
15–20 lb/acre pure stand; 12–15 lb/acre with companion grass
Data quality & sources
Quality: company-reported · Last updated 2024.
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