521

1.   521 is composed of eighteen clones originating from several experimental lines of fall dormant types including the varieties 520 and ATRA that survived in an infestation of spotted alfalfa aphids in the seedling stage. More than 10,000 seedlings were in the original population. Surviving plants were established in a nursery near Five Points, California for evaluation of seed production and confirmation of spotted aphid resistance. Plants with high seed yields were selected for progeny row forage production evaluation at two locations in the Midwest and the parent plant was vegetatively propagated for a bacterial wilt test.

2.   521 has been evaluated in Nebraska, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York and California. The cultivar is adapted to those areas where 520 and Vernal are being grown for hay, haylage, de-hy and grazing.

3.   Flower color is predominately purple with variegated flowers including some white and yellow flowered plants. The cultivar is uniform at all stages of growth during the spring and summer, but shows some non-uniformity in fall growth. The winterhardiness based on fall growth is similar to that of Vernal and 520. Most plants are semi-erect in growth habit. 521 has resistance to bacterial wilt similar to Ranger and slightly higher resistance than Dawson to the spotted alfalfa aphids found in Fresno, California area.

4.   Seed classes for 521 will be Breeder, Foundation and Certified. Breeder seed is composed of bulk harvested seed produced within cage or a field isolation of the eighteen parent clones. Certified seed may be produced only on fields established with Breeder and/or Foundation seed.

5.   Certified seed would be available for marketing in the Spring of 1976.

6.   Not planned for certification under provisions of the Plant Variety Protection Act.