Despite alfalfa’s declining acreage and use in many dairy rations, alfalfa breeders are excited about the legume’s future. In fact, over the past two years, two companies have put considerable effort into building up their proprietary alfalfa portfolios.

S&W Seed has garnered acquisitions that now make it the largest non-dormant alfalfa breeder in the world. In an effort to expand markets globally, the company has gained permission to plant trial plots of five varieties in China – a country with growing demand for dairy products.

Dow AgroSciences, with two retail brands in the market – Dairyland and Mycogen – acquired Cal West and added a third brand, Producer’s Choice, to its portfolio in 2012. Dow combined all of the companies’ alfalfa research and development teams and seed production operations into a new seed affiliate called Alforex Seeds.

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