For the second consecutive year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has allocated dollars for alfalfa research to the tune of $1.2 million. The Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP) was created to support integrated, collaborative research and technology transfer to improve the efficiency and sustainability of alfalfa forage and seed production systems.
Compared to other major crops, $1.2 million is small potatoes, but it's better than nothing, which is what got designated for alfalfa prior to 2014. That's when the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) was successful in securing AFRP authorizing language in the farm bill to secure a $1.35 million appropriation in the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years.
In 2015, the following projects were awarded funding:
| AFRP Project Title | Lead Institution/Collaborators |
| Re-establishing IPM Recommendations for Aphids in Alfalfa Hay in the Low Desert | University of Arizona/ California, Utah |
| Developing Molecular Markers for Enhancing Resistance to Drought and High Salinity in Alfalfa | USDA-ARS California/ New York, Utah |
| Potato Leafhopper Threshold Revised for Alfalfa Host Resistance and Alfalfa Grass Mixtures | University of Maryland/ Ohio, Wisconsin |
| Impact of Microbial Inoculants on the Quality and Fermentation Stability of Alfalfa Round-Bale Baleage | Mississippi State Univ./ Georgia, Wisconsin |
| Management Tools to Improve Forage Quality and Persistence of Alfalfa | Cornell University/ Minnesota, Kentucky |
| Subsurface Drip Irrigation, Deficit Irrigation | University of California/ Arizona, New Mexico |
| Strategies, and Improved Varieties to Improve Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency Under Drought Conditions |
