Breeding Ideas Presented During the Meeting

Lucerne (alfalfa; Medicago sativa) is often used as monoculture but may also be used in mixture with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) or cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) in order to balance protein and energy contents of the forage, to stabilize yield production over cuts and to limit weed development. However, lucerne varieties are bred and evaluated for registration in monoculture. We have shown that the value of a lucerne variety in mixture was not predictable from its value in monoculture. Breeding schemes that take the value in mixture into account should be elaborated. This question of breeding for monoculture vs. mixture is probably a concern for most forage species. Here, we assume a goal of creating a new lucerne variety that performs well in both pure and mixed stands.