Alfalfa cultivars under areas of influence of the Atlantic Forest in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the yields of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars for the region under influence of the Atlantic Forest in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Thirty cultivars were evaluated in a randomized block design with three replications. Before planting, seeds were inoculated with Rhizobium melilotii BR 7407. During the dry and rainy season, significant differences were observed among cultivars for forage production, leaf:stem ratio, and insect and disease resistance. Regarding the crude protein content in the forage, significant differences were observed among cultivars only during the rainy season. Crioula, P30, Monarca and Florida 77 cultivars had the best performance for the majority of evaluated parameters. High forage production during rainy and dry seasons was obtained with Crioula cultivar, which should be recommended as the cultivar to be grown for forage crop in the region of this study.