Alfalfa is on the minds of many when it comes to implementing it into a crop rotation. But it is also a key focus of researchers to determine its true value. Deborah Samac, Supervisory Research Geneticist and Research Leader for the Plant Science Research Unit at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Minnesota says there are diseases affecting being able to get alfalfa started.
“There’s a number of pathogens that we call oomycetes, also known as water molds that can swim in the water layer,” explains Samac. “But the disease causing the most problems is called aphanomyces root rot.”
Their current research is focused on identifying new pathogens causing problems as with each advance of uncovering potential problems and solving them, they also find new pathogens that are causing problems.
These pathogens can continue to attack the roots, even with adult plants, if the conditions are right and the soil becomes really wet and cool. Samac says the best thing farmers can do to prevent these diseases is to use aphanomyces root rot resistant cultivars and seed treatments at establishment.
“It’s good to look at the full farm economy with alfalfa because it provides answers to so many problems that farmers may face,” says Samac. “It provides all the nitrogen that the subsequent corn crop will need, sometimes even the next two corn crops, which is a lot of savings right there.”
She adds that if farmers are having problems with corn rootworm, rotation to alfalfa will almost eliminate that rootworm problem in those fields. Alfalfa can also take care of herbicide resistant weeds. Besides those benefits, there’s also ecological benefits of soil stabilization that keeps erosion and nutrient run off under control.
Samac and her team are publishing the first genome sequence in the U.S. for alfalfa. This allows them to develop DNA markers along the genome that breeders can use for identifying positive traits for incorporating into alfalfa. She says this will help to accelerate the pace of developing improved cultivars.
She adds, “We’ve done some genome editing of the alfalfa so that it deregulates its phosphorus uptake. The plants that we’ve generated over accumulate phosphorus. Why is this going to be useful? There’s a number of soils where there’s been manure applied year after year with high levels of phosphorus. So these plants are able to actually reclaim that material.”
Alfalfa benefits not only the farmer but the community and environment as well. It has been known for being a reservoir for beneficial insects such as pollinators, butterflies and bees. Samac is excited for some new uses for alfalfa such as taking the protein out of it and putting it in human foods. There’s use for alfalfa for animal feed as well as for humans.
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