Background:

The Western Forage Testing System (WFTEST) was developed in 1994 to coordinate the testing for registration and performance of forage experimental lines across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is the final step before experimental lines are submitted by seed companies for registration in Western Canada.

The goals of this system are:

• To streamline and coordinate the registration and performance evaluation process. The tests generally provide sufficient data for both the registration and performance information for the various agro-climatic zones in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• To share the responsibility of testing in the development of new forage varieties between the seed trade, the prairie provinces and the federal government.

Objective:
This research was started in 2001. This project will continue to provide Manitoba farmer’s with reliable adaptation and performance indicators under Manitoba conditions for new forage cultivars being developed and marketed.

Forage crops can be established in a number of production systems over a wide range of soil and climatic zones.  But, proper selection of crop and variety is critical in optimizing the benefits of forage crops in a sustainable cropping system. The Manitoba Forage Crop Variety Testing Program provides Manitoba farmers with objective information of growth and yield characteristics of new forage cultivars as they enter the marketplace.  The information assists producers in identifying varieties most suited to their farms.  This allows for rapid update by producers of the latest genetic improvements available, which ensures that Manitoba farmers are competitive in both domestic and export markets.  This program will increase the amount of information available for farmers to use in their decision-making process.

Project Description:
The Manitoba Forage Variety Program Test
1.    Maintaining trials at the three major testing sites – Arborg, St.Pierre, Neepawa/Rosebank. The following data is collected:
-    Herbage yield on 33 varieties of alfalfa, 2 varieties of cicer milkvetch, 4 varieties of brome grass, 5 varieties of orchardgrass, 5 varieties of tall fescue, 13 varieties of timothy. In addition, annual plots of 4 varieties of annual ryegrass are to be seeded and harvested for herbage. In total, production data will be collected for 66 forage varieties established on 264 plots harvested twice per season.  Plots are harvested with a specialized forage plot harvester. Legume tests are harvested at 10% bloom and grass crops at full heading.  Samples are weighed in the field and sub-sampled to determine moisture content. Plot maintenance includes pest control, weeding and border sanitation.
-    Measure alfalfa winter hardiness tolerance on existing plots at three sites: Arborg, Tuelon, and Rosebank of 30 alfalfa varieties. Three overwintering periods are required to create sufficient separation between varieties. This will be the first year of data for half the plots and the second year for the remainder.

Project Contact: Glenn Friesen, MAFRI
Ph: (204) 745-5672
Start Date: April 2008
Completion Date:
Funding Partners: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Greencover Canada Program Technical Assistance Component, Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative, MFC, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Proven Seed, Manitoba Forage Seed Association
Project Results: Project is ongoing.