Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage System Program (ASAFS) will support the development of improved alfalfa forage and seed production systems. Proposals submitted to ASAFS should address one or more of the following priorities: (1) Increasing alfalfa forage and seed yields and forage quality through improved management practices, plant breeding, and other strategies to reduce biotic and abiotic stresses and costs of production; (2) Improving alfalfa forage and seed harvest and storage systems, including automation that reduces labor costs, to optimize economic returns to alfalfa producers as well as end-users including milk producers; (3) Developing methods to estimate alfalfa forage yield and quality to support marketing as a livestock feed and instruments to reduce producer risks; (4) Exploring new uses for alfalfa such as in fish feeds, nutritive supplements, alternative protein sources for human consumption, high-value chemical manufacturing, or other novel uses; (5) Developing improved insect, disease and weed management strategies, including spotted aphid in alfalfa seed production and potential herbicide carry-over issues; and/or (6) Documenting the contribution of alfalfa production systems to climate-smart agriculture, including the sequestration of carbon.
2023 Awardees
- Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
- University of California, Davis, CA
- Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS