SW9720
A high yielding, non-dormant variety with salt tolerance.
Growth is erect with rapid recovery after cutting. SW 9720 is adapted to salty soils and to better soils, both in warm and hot temperature areas, from Yolo County, California to the Mexican border and south of there. Yields have been excellent in Davis, CA, Imperial County, CA and Maricopa County, AZ.
For hay production, SW 9720 is adapted to areas of California and Arizona where non-dormant varieties are recommended. SW 9720 was the highest yielding variety in the non-dormant forage trial of 48 entries at University of California, Davis. It is also doing very well in the Imperial Valley of California and at the University of Arizona Field Station of Maricopa, Arizona.
SW 9720 was developed on salty soils near Mendota, California and in salt selection forage trials in Tucson, Arizona. SW 9720 was synthesized from 90 plants and is a California Certified Variety.
Key Advantages
- This Group 9 dormancy variety has a very wide area of adaptation and is tolerant to salty irrigation waters and salty soils.
- Highest yielding alfalfa in UC Davis Trial of 48 non-dormant entries for 1998/1999 and 2008.
- Out yielded CUF 101 in Imperial Valley by 5.2% and 8.3% in trials at the University of Arizona at Maricopa.
- SW 9720 led all entries in both yield and feed quality in the trials at the USDA salinity laboratory, where alfalfa and other forage species were under salt water irrigation management at Riverside, California.
Major Pest Resistance
- Fusarium Wilt – Resistant
- Phytophthora Root Rot – Resistant
- Spotted Alfalfa Aphid – Highly Resistant
- Pea Aphid Highly – Resistant
- Blue Alfalfa Aphid – Resistant
- Southern Root Knot Nematode – Highly Resistant
- Bacterial Wilt – Moderately Resistant
- Stem Nematode – Moderately Resistant