Evaluation of Growth Characteristics, Productivity, and Feed Value of Different 26 Alfalfa Cultivars in Central Region of South Korea

This study was conducted in Cheonan of central region in South Korea to identify alfalfa cultivars with superior adaptability to the local environment. To evaluate the growth characteristics, productivity, and feed value of 26 alfalfa cultivars, field experiments were conducted with a randomized block design (three replicates) for three years. Among the 26 alfalfa cultivars, “Natsuwakaba” showed the highest dry matter yield (DMY, 37,083 kg/ha), with a significantly higher three-year average than that of other cultivars. Furthermore, the three-year-average DMYs of “Alfalfa short” (31,044 kg/ha) and “Radar II Brand” (31,163 kg/ha) were significantly higher than those of other cultivars. In addition, differences among the feed values of the alfalfa cultivars were relatively less significant than the differences among their productivity, as the feed value was less influenced by the cultivation conditions and cultivars. Although “Jin Huang Hou” and “Certified organic” exhibited the highest feed values when cultivated in central region in South Korea, “Natsuwakaba” outperformed all cultivars in both productivity and feed value. The acid and neutral detergent fiber (ADF and NDF, respectively) contents of “Jin Huang Hou” (38.9% and 47.26%, respectively) were significantly lower than those of other cultivars. In contrast, the ADF and NDF contents of “Burgaltai” (46.52% and 55.56%, respectively) implied poor feed value upon cultivation in South Korea. The crude protein (CP) content in the alfalfa cultivars ranged from 14.95% to 19.44% during early flowering, and the highest CP content was observed for “Certified organic.” The in-vitro digestibility of alfalfa was approximately 70% for all cultivars during early flowering, indicating good digestibility of most of the cultivars.