Genetic and environmental variation in alfalfa forage quality from variety testing experiments conducted in North America between 1986 and 1999

<p>The dataset contains forage quality data from alfalfa variety tests conducted by researchers in the US from 1986 through 1999. All trials measured forage yield, while a subset also measured stand persistence; these data are also available in PURR. The data were aggregated from the Alfalfa Variety Performance Database originally compiled in 2000 by Daniel W. Wiersma and Wayne G. Hartman (doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.4231/PHKH-4334" rel="external" target="_blank">10.4231/PHKH-4334)</a>. The database was used to analyze long-term trends in genetic improvement of alfalfa yield, quality, and agronomic performance.</p>

<p>The forage quality file contains cultivar- and harvest-specific forage quality and corresponding yield data. It is organized by Trial, and includes trial-specific spatial (state, latitude, longitude, elevation), and temporal (year of trial, harvest number, harvest date, planting date) details. Finally, when available soil type and statistics are also provided. A companion dataset contains the characteristics of these alfalfa varieties (doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.4231/FMY9-6966" rel="external" target="_blank">10.4231/FMY9-6966)</a>.</p>