Sources of Alfalfa Seed Chalcid Resistance in Alfalfa12

Abstract

Alfalfa varieties—Medicago spp.—experimental lines, and individual plants were evaluated and tested for resistance to the alfalfa seed chalcid, Bruchophagus roddi Gussakovskii, in Arizona from 1958 to 1963. Among the varieties tested, Lahontan performed well in nearly all tests and is considered a good source for selecting resistant plants. Others were Hairy Peruvian, Zia, Ranger, and A-224. Several entries from foreign countries also performed well. Among the species tested, Medicago tianschanica Vass. var. agropyretorum Vass. was the most promising entry. Tests on individual clones indicated that C-89 from Lahontan and M-56-11 and other plants from Sirsa no. 9 were also good sources of chalcid resistance