SW 6403 (Amended)

SW 6403 (Amended)

1. Selection criteria used in developing SW 6403 included short internodes, medium fine stems, healthy roots, large seed pods, large leaves, dark green forage, resistance to blue alfalfa aphid and resistance to Fusarium wilt.

2. SW 6403 is adapted for use in parts of California where fall forage is desired and alfalfa varieties of fall dormancy 7 are grown. Use is intended in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys of California, where yield tests have been conducted on SW 6403.

3. Fall dormancy of SW 6403 is 7, similar to the FD 7 check variety Dona Anna. Flower color is 96% purple, 3% variegated and 1% white in the Syn. 3 generation.

4. SW 6403 is highly resistant to blue alfalfa aphid and Fusarium wilt. It is resistant to spotted alfalfa aphid and Southern root knot nematode (M. Incognita), and moderately resistant to Phytophthora root rot, anthracnose (Race 1) and pea aphid. SW 6403 has low resistance to bacterial wilt, Verticillium wilt and Northern root knot nematode (M. Hapla), and was not tested for Aphanomyces root rot (Race 1) or stem nematode.

5. Breeders seed was produced during 1994. Under certification the classes of seed will be breeder, foundation and certified. Foundation seed will be produced from breeder seed and/or foundation seed. Foundation seed will be used to produce certified seed. S&W Seed Company will maintain seed stocks of the variety. Length of stand life allowed for foundation and certified seed is four and six years respectively.

6. Certified seed will be available for sale in the Fall of 2001.

7. Application will not be made for PVP.

8. This information may be sent to the PVP office.

9. Variety Name: SW 6403. Date Submitted: November 1, 2003.

Experimental designations: 9403, 9212B, 7403