Dairyland Seed Introduces HybriForce-4400 Hybrid Alfalfa

New fourth generation hybrid alfalfa delivers yield improvements, exceptional seeding year performance and more forage in a tight supply market

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Dairyland Seed introduced HybriForce-4400™ its new, fourth generation hybrid alfalfa seed at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. Extensive research, including over 75 field trials, has demonstrated that HybriForce-4400 provides dairy producers and hay growers with additional improvements in yield while maintaining excellent forage quality.

“Combined data from internal and third-party trials over four years show HybriForce-4400 delivered a five percent yield advantage over our third-generation hybrid alfalfa seed, HybriForce-3400,” said Sara Hendrickson, forage leader, Dairyland Seed.

Hendrickson, along with other hybrid alfalfa specialists from Dairyland Seed, reviewed data from those trials with dairy producers today during an educational presentation about the evolution of hybrid alfalfa technology at World Dairy Expo.

Over the last two years, HybriForce-4400 performance was evaluated in 108 Dairyland Seed on-farm HAY (Hybrid Alfalfa Yield) side-by-side comparisons across nine states. Results from those trials showed it delivered an average yield advantage of 12.6 percent against competitive alfalfas, across all cuts at all locations.

“We’re particularly pleased with the ability of HybriForce-4400 to provide superior first year establishment and seeding year yield potential,” said Hendrickson. “And notably, we saw that superior establishment performance even in spring planting conditions that were wetter than normal.”

Steve Wagner, alfalfa plant breeder with Corteva Agriscience, the parent company of Dairyland Seed, said disease challenges present the biggest threat to alfalfa in the seeding or establishment year.

Wagner added that the hybrid breeding process offers a unique advantage over conventional breeding. It enables researchers to continuously improve the parental lineages and then match together the parents that give the most hybrid vigor for yield performance and disease resistance.

“HybriForce-4400 provides outstanding seedling disease resistance, which contributes to its excellence in seeding year yield performance,” said Wagner. “Research field trial results showed that HybriForce-4400 had an average seeding year yield advantage of 15.1 percent in head-to-head trials against 35 competitors.”

In 24 university state trials, HybriForce-4400 has proven to be a broadly adaptive alfalfa that excels in a wide range of environments and provides excellent disease protection.

Relief from Market Challenges
 By delivering greater yields, HybriForce-4400 can help customers in midwestern states overcome the current forage shortage by producing more from every acre to increase profitability in a challenging agricultural economy. With top tier establishment, HybriForce-4400 can also help customers overcome the adverse weather and planting conditions that have become more common.

History of Alfalfa Innovation
Founded in 1907, Dairyland Seed has been a leading innovator in the seed industry for over 100 years and introduced the world’s first hybrid alfalfa in 2001. HybriForce-400, the original hybrid alfalfa, was the first significant advancement in alfalfa genetics in 20 years.

2009 marked the release of HybriForce-2400, a second-generation hybrid, which showed a 5 percent yield advantage over the original. HybriForce-3400, the third-generation hybrid alfalfa introduced in 2013, delivered an additional 5 percent yield advantage.

Research and evaluation of potential genetic parentage combinations for HybriForce-4400 began over 10 years ago and testing of HybriForce-4400 began in 2015. It was developed through msSunstra® hybrid alfalfa technology, a breeding process that has proven to be a leading technology in the alfalfa seed industry.

“This breeding process maximizes the yield potential of superior alfalfa germplasm through analyzing the specific combining ability of elite lines and is the only breeding program to discover and advance a hybrid alfalfa,” said Wagner.

“We’re uniquely passionate about alfalfa and dedicated to providing our customers with the best performing alfalfa seed available,” said Hendrickson. “And we’re already working on the fifth and sixth generations of HybriForce hybrid alfalfa.”

For more information about HybriForce-4400, contact a Dairyland Seed representative or visit dairylandseed.com.

About Dairyland Seed

Dairyland Seed has served northern U.S. farmers for more than 100 years with a customer-first approach. Dairyland is focused on the future and providing top-performing seed, while remaining grounded in the value of listening to customer needs and operating with integrity. In 2018, Dairyland was announced as a multi-channel brand of Corteva Agriscience. To learn more visitwww.DairylandSeed.com.