What I Have Learned from 4 Years of Alfalfa Grazing Tolerance Variety Trials

There has been interest in alfalfa varieties that would tolerate grazing for some time. The spreading type alfalfas (such as Rambler, Spredor 2, Travois) have long been generally promoted as being tolerant of grazing. Over the years, most selection for tolerance to grazing was done using frequent clipping to simulate grazing. Studies conducted at the University of Georgia in the 1980\u27s found that alfalfa varieties performed differently when grazed frequently compared to clipping frequently. This line of research eventually led to the release of \u27AlfaGraze\u27 alfalfa which was the first variety ever to be selected primarily by overgrazing by livestock. The advent of this variety and others soon after raised the need for verification of grazing tolerance under Kentucky conditions