Norseman
1. Parent plants selected from a selected lot of certified Ladak alfalfa. Final selection based on winter hardiness, uniformity of recovery, growth habit, and resistance to bacterial wilt.
2. Primary use - hay and/or grazing. To be recommended for long term rotation and in areas where bacterial wilt and winter-kill limit the use of other varieties. These areas include Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, Michigan, dryland and northern 1 to 2 cut alfalfa region.
3. Variegated flower color - full range from purple to yellow. Wide-crowned, uniformly early fall dormancy, slow recovery, prostrate to semidecumbent growth habit, fine stemed and intermediate between Ranger and Vernal in resistance to bacterial wilt. An occasional plant will have sickle-shaped pods.
4. Breeder seed produced from 2900 vegetatively propagated plants in northern area of adaptation. Foundation seed may be produced only from breeder seed and only in the northern area of adaptation; number of years a field can produce foundation seed shall be governed by the state certifying agency wherein field is located. Certified seed may be produced only from breeder or foundation seed in any state which normally produces alfalfa seed; number of years a field may remain in production is to be governed by the certification agency within that state.
5. 1965.