Grazing Management for Alfalfa Persistence and Productivity in Warm-Climate Regions

Alfalfa is the most important cultivated forage crop in Argentina, where about 3 million hectares are grown. Even though the use of direct grazing is coming down during the last 15 years, it is still important for both beef and dairy production. Alfalfa grazing can play an important role in reducing operative costs and decreasing quality loss due to forage conservation (hay or silage). In this paper, the main concepts necessary to implement adequate and practical rotational grazing systems are briefly discussed. Particular attention is given to issues such as grazing frequency, grazing period, pasture use efficiency, and alfalfa quality variation by canopy strata and time of the year. Specific management requirements for beef and dairy operations are also discussed. Argentine experience indicates that is possible to reach high animal response under direct grazing, provided appropriate management practices

Research priorities and the future of alfalfa in Latin America.

Agro-food and agro-industrial systems in Latin America must anticipate future trends and ensure permanent adjustment of research priorities to the evolving global needs. Innovations should follow the logic of productive chains, which are highly dependent upon knowledge and technology. Agribusiness sector needs to reinvent itself for efficiently providing new products based on stricter quality controls, traceability, and greater diversification. In the region, alfalfa has an enormous potential to be cultivated for multiple purposes other than just animal products, going from pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry to human consumption. No single organization or isolated group of scientists hold alone the capacity to deal with increasingly complex and dynamic production systems in order to efficiently compete in a globalized market. These challenges require an interdisciplinary approach, not only to a domestic level but also to an international one. The present paper proposed the constitution of a virtual alfalfa network platform for articulating and guiding alfalfa research efforts in Latin America. The network will focus on identifying the most important needs for Latin America, promoting an active interaction among educational and scientific institutions through collaborative research projects. The platform comprises four main research axes: (1) efficient production (agronomy); (2) animal production (diversified feeds); (3) quality and innocuousness applied (human feeding); (4) novel products (pharmaceutical and cosmetics). During the initial phase, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA, Brazil) and National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA, Argentina) will jointly coordinate the network

Plant Breeding Perspectives for Alfalfa (\u3cem\u3eMedicago sativa\u3c/em\u3e L.) Success in Warm Climates

Climate change can have major impacts on adaptation of forage species to agroecosystems around the world. The ability of breeders to select for traits that impart adaptability to climate resilience will be critical for the future of grasslands. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important perennial forage legume in the world because of its relatively high yield and nutritional value. In Florida, nondormant cultivars were developed for improved adaptation to the state’s subtropical agroecosystem (‘Florida 66’, ‘Florida 77’, and ‘Florida 99’); however, these cultivars are not commercially available. Breeding efforts are underway to develop new nondormant alfalfa adapted to subtropical conditions. The main goal of the alfalfa breeding program at the University of Florida (UF) is to combine germplasm screening, genomics, enviromics, and phenomics to improve yield and persistence. The integration of multi-omics data can result in greater genetic gain by reducing the length of the breeding cycle and by increasing the size of breeding populations. The development of nondormant, persistent, and high yielding cultivars would be a big step towards establishing alfalfa systems in warmer climates

O desenvolvimento tecnológico das cadeias produtivas latino-americanas.

As ações futuras que visam ao desenvolvimento tecnológico dos sistemas agroalimentar e agroindustrial latino-americano devem buscar antecipar tendências e garantir o ajuste permanente das prioridades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento, com vistas às inovações que se inspiram na lógica de cadeias produtivas, cada vez mais dependentes de conhecimento e tecnologia. Para garantir a oferta crescente de alimentos em quantidade e qualidade, preservando os recursos naturais e agregando valor ao produto, é necessário investir em pesquisa, numa abordagem transdisciplinar, em sistemas cada vez mais complexos e com forte ênfase em tecnologias convergentes. A migração de sistemas de produção com poucas atividades para aqueles mais complexos será uma realidade nas próximas décadas, contribuindo com os processos cada vez mais dinâmicos que acompanharão a agroindústria que se descortina para o futuro. Esse cenário trará nas próximas décadas novos paradigmas agrossocioambiental e colocará a América Latina em evidência. O avanço da urbanização e novos hábitos alimentares exigirão atenção ao crescimento e sofisticação da demanda por bens e serviços. É necessário se reinventar, à medida que cresce a pressão por eficiência no uso dos recursos naturais, emergindo um novo padrão de produção focado na entrega de produtos com controle de qualidade, rastreados e de maior diversificação. Nesse cenário promissor e de grande potencial de utilização, a América Latina pode sair na frente para apoiar a expansão dos sistemas agroalimentar e agroindustrial, tomando a alfafa como base de uma plataforma para direcionar futuras pesquisas em rede, gerando conhecimento para promover inovações e desenvolvimento tecnológico sustentável na região

Cultivares.

Países com maior tradição no cultivo da alfafa, tais como EUA, Canadá e Argentina, dispõem de número elevado de cultivares, adaptadas aos diferentes ambientes para os quais foram selecionadas.Versão eletrônica

Origem, disseminação, morfologia e fenologia.

Origem e disseminação; Morfologia: Semente, Talo e coroa, Folha, Flor, Desenvolvimento floral e polinização, Fruto; Fenologi

Development of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.) Transgenic Plants Expressing a Bacillus Thuringiensis Endotoxin and Their Evaluation Against Alfalfa Caterpillar (Colias Lesbia)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important forage crop in Argentina, with ca. 6 million cultivated hectares. The production of this crop is limited by the alfalfa caterpillar (Colias lesbia) which causes a loss equivalent to at least 10% of the biomass per year. No natural tolerance against this lepidoptera was found in alfalfa germplasm, hampering the development of tolerant cultivars by conventional breeding. This pest is usually controlled by using chemical insecticides but this has adverse effects on beneficial insects and the environment. Alternatively, low doses of commercial Bt insecticides (40 to 70 g/ha) also proved to efficiently limit the pest. This observation leads to us consider that the development of alfalfa transgenic plants expressing a suitable member of the B. thuringiensis cry gene family could be a useful tool for overcoming this alfalfa yield constraint. The aim of this work was to produce alfalfa transgenic plants expressing a Bt protein and to assess its biological activity against C. lesbia under laboratory conditions

Potencial forrageiro da alfafa para alimentação de vacas de leite nos trópicos.

As características da alfafa, como elevada produção, alta qualidade e alta digestibilidade, fazem com que ela desempenhe papel importante para a melhoria da qualidade das dietas utilizadas nas regiões tropicais, pois os volumosos que são muito produtivos nessas regiões são caracterizados por apresentar digestibilidade da fibra e teor de proteína muito baixos, o que afeta o consumo de nutrientes digestíveis e, consequentemente, o desempenho animal.bitstream/item/156227/1/Potencial-forrageiro-da-alfafa-pg213-237-2016-.pd