Rugged Hi-Salt Alfalfa Seed
PERFORMANCE 
- Especially well adapted to the northern Great Plains and higher elevations of the Intermountain West
- Fits irrigated or dryland crop management systems
- Features bred-in grazing, germination salinity and traffic/compaction tolerance
MANAGEMENT
- Versatile alfalfa variety that fits 2-4 cut systems for hay or hay-graze management
- Exceptional winter hardiness helps Rugged perform in production systems where other varieties fail
- Medium-late harvest maturity
APPEARANCE AT HARVEST MATURITY
- Medium-short plant height and a very dense, full canopy of medium green leaves
| Agronomics | |
|---|---|
| Yield Rating: | 3 |
| Fall Dormancy Class: | FD 3 |
| Winter Hardiness Class: | WS 1 |
| Multifoliate Leaf Expression: | Trifoliate |
| FastGrowth Rating: | 1.54/Very Slow |
| Salinity Tolerance Germination: | Tolerant |
| Salinity Tolerance Forage Production: | Tolerant |
| Pest Package | HR | R | MR | LR | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diseases | |||||
| Anthracnose |  | ||||
| Aphanomyces-Race 1 | | ||||
| Aphanomyces-Race 2 | | ||||
| Bacterial Wilt | | ||||
| Fusarium Wilt | | ||||
| Phytophthora Root Rot | | ||||
| Verticillium Wilt | | ||||
| Insects | |||||
| Blue Alfalfa Aphid | | ||||
| Cowpea Aphid | | ||||
| Pea Aphid | | ||||
| Spotted Alfalfa Aphid | | ||||
| Nematode Resistance | |||||
| Stem Nematode | |
HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON
Yield in DM Tons per Acre
| Brand | Competitor | RUGGED | Harvest Years 1 | % Yield Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spredor 3 | 6.51 | 7.21 | 3 | 11% |
| Gold Plus | 7.39 | 7.96 | 5 | 8% |
| Baralfa 32 IQ | 6.84 | 7.21 | 3 | 5% |
| WL 345LH | 5.28 | 5.51 | 3 | 5% |
| GH 767 | 6.93 | 7.21 | 3 | 5% |
| DK 142 | 8.77 | 9.08 | 2 | 4% |
| Everlast | 6.45 | 6.65 | 3 | 3% |
| DKA 65-10RR | 5.52 | 5.67 | 4 | 3% |
| WL 353LH | 4.34 | 4.45 | 4 | 3% |
| Evergreen 3 | 5.40 | 5.51 | 3 | 2% |
| Maxi Graze GT | 5.67 | 5.77 | 12 | 2% |
| WL 232HQ | 7.85 | 7.96 | 5 | 1% |
| Amerigraze 401+Z | 9.05 | 9.08 | 2 | 0% |
| 6422Q | 6.35 | 6.30 | 14 | -1% |
1 Harvest Years = the number of years in either Public and/or Private trials where the two varieties have been in the same trial and are on harvest schedule for the yield comparisons to be listed.
Seeding Rates
| Seeding Method and Pounds Per Acre | |||||
| Bag Size | Drilled Pure Stands | Broadcast Pure Stands | Interseeding | Over/Frost Seeding | Grass/Hay Mixture |
| 50 | 18-25 | 20-28 | Not Recommended | Not Recommended | 15-20 |
Download our Management Guide for more information on growing alfalfa in saline soils.
Additional Resources:
Yield Rating Key: 5 = Best; 3 = Average; 1 = Poor
Agronomic Yield Ratings are based on average performance between Alforex varieties. Actual performance may be adversely affected by extreme conditions. Unless stated, ratings are based on standardized testing procedures endorsed by the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference.
FastGrowth Ratings are calculated by Alforex Seeds from weekly measurement of varieties grown side-by-side from green-up to harvest through the growing season. Expressed as average centimeters growth per day. >2.20 = Very Fast; >2.00 = Fast; >1.80 = Average; >1.60 = Slow; <1.60 = Very Slow
Pest Resistance Ratings
| % Resistant Plants | Resistant Class | Class Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 0-5% | Susceptible | S |
| 6-14% | Low Resistance | LR |
| 15-30% | Moderate Resistance | MR |
| 31-50% | Resistant | R |
| >50% | High Resistance | HR |