Metadata for alfalfa varieties and experimental lines 1986 to 1999

<p>The alfalfa variety metadata file contains descriptors and characteristic of over 2900 alfalfa varieties and experimental lines used in these variety trials. 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>. Three companion data files also extracted from the database contain the yield (doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.4231/Y31N-5R10" rel="external" target="_blank">10.4231/Y31N-5R10)</a>, forage quality (doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.4231/02PR-9H36" rel="external" target="_blank">10.4231/02PR-9H36)</a>, and stand persistence data (doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.4231/KK4K-QD96" rel="external" target="_blank">10.4231/KK4K-QD96)</a>.</p>

<p>Characteristics of alfalfa varieties and experimental lines in this dataset include variety name, business and marketing information, agronomic information such as fall dormancy, grazing tolerance, and winterhardiness ratings, and pest tolerance information including pathogen and insect resistance ratings. These ratings were determined using Standardized Tests developed by the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference (<a href="http://NAAIC.org">NAAIC.org</a>). Details of each test can be found as a PDF file archived at the NAAIC web site (<a href="https://www.naaic.org/resource/stdtests.php">https://www.naaic.org/resource/stdtests.php</a>).</p>