1. Beginning in 1961, 36,000 seedlings were greenhouse screened for Leptosphaerulina leafspot. The susceptible half of the population was discarded and the remaining plants were inoculated with bacterial wilt and transplanted to the field. Individual plant notes were taken on vigor, leafhopper tolerance and leaf diseases. Three hundred clones were selected and evaluated for seed production in the West. Polycross progeny plots were established in both North Carolina and Tennessee in 1964 and 1965. These 1,166 plots were scored twice each year for alfalfa weevil feeding damage. Nine clones were selected, based on these weevil feeding notes. Three clones were subsequently discarded for other characters and the remaining six clones were combined into a synthetic tested as FFR Syn W and later named Weevlchek. These 6 clones have been evaluated in complete diallels at Lafayette and Louisville. They were found to be remarkably similar for weevil feeding resistance, leaf color, leafhopper resistance, and bacterial wilt resistance. They vary in growth habit, leaf size, flower color, and mildew reaction. Weevlchek is a Vernal type variety that is wilt resistant, winter hardy, fine stemmed, and contains a wide range of flower color; but none of the parent clones trace to Vernal. One of the parent clones was selected by W. W. Washko from a Medicago falcata line identified as 23l-731-Wis. The other 5 clones trace to breeding lines and not directly to varieties.
2. Although the early selection was carried out in North Carolina and Tennessee, it appears to have a wide range of adaptation. Weevlchek yields have been excellent in Indiana and Kentucky and acceptable in Maryland, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nebraska. Weevlcheks leafhopper resistance and bacterial wilt resistance may make it competitive throughout the area where fall dormant varieties are grown.
3. Flower color - purple, green, yellow, and white (the complete range). Quite uniform for weevil feeding, leafhoppers, bacterial wilt reaction and leaf color; variable for growth habit, leaf size, flower color, and mildew reaction. Dormancy is similar to Ranger and Vernal. Growth habit - similar to Vernal but no critical data. Leaf color is darker than other varieties to which it has been compared. Weevlchek appears to break spring dormancy later than most varieties, but in the summer has vigor equal to Vernal.
4. The six parent clones will be maintained by Farmers Forage Research Cooperative. There will be a maximum of three sexual generations. Breeder seed will be bulk harvested seed from interpollinating vegetative cuttings of the six parent clones in an isolated greenhouse or field plantings. Foundation seed fields will be grown from only greenhouse produced breeder seed. Commercial seed designated as the variety Weevlchek can be produced only when breeder or foundation seed is used as planting stock. The first plantings of Weevlchek involved breeder seed produced in our greenhouse. Foundation seed was grown in California from this greenhouse produced breeder seed. In the future, breeder seed will be produced on the six parent clones in the field in California or another Western State to eliminate the foundation generation. Plantings for forage evaluation after the fall of 1968 were from third generation seed; that is, breeder greenhouse to foundation California to certified California. We anticipate producing no additional foundation seed, but will continue to plant that which is on hand.
5. Spring of 1971. Revision in the procedure of maintaining seed increase of Weevlcheck (approved by the NCAVRB in 1970) with the removal of greenhouse requirement for breeders seed. Revision as follows: "Foundation seed fields will be grown from Breeders seed." Change in procedure eliminates the requirement that Foundation Seed can only be grown from Greenhouse produced Breeders seed.