1. Good as Gold is a 21 clone synthetic variety. Parent clones trace back through several intermediate steps to Vernal, Answer, Apollo, Tempo, Lahontan, Teweles Multistrain, MSB, MSB--CW5, MNP--D1, WI plant release M193, and Dairyland experimentals. Dairyland experimentals trace to Flandria, Culver, Vernal, Durstan, and Ranger. Parent plants were selected out of forage yield plots and progeny tested for one or more of the following traits: Forage yield, stand persistence, winter hardiness, seed yield, and resistance to bacterial wilt, Phytophthora root rot, Fusarium wilt, anthracnose, Verticillium wilt and Aphanomyces. Percent of germplasm sources are M. falcata (4), Ladak (6), M. varia (5), Turkistan (30), Flemish (50), and Chilean (5).
2. Good as Gold is intended for use in the Eastern, Central, and Northern regions of the United States for hay, haylage, greenchop, and dehydration. It has been tested in Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, New York, and Georgia.
3. Flower color in the Syn. 2 generation is approximately 85% purple, 15% variegated and a trace of yellow, white, and cream. Growth habit is erect in mid--summer and semi--erect in the fall. Its fall dormancy is similar to the variety Saranac.
4. Good as Gold has high resistance to bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, Phytophthora root rot, pea aphid, resistance to anthracnose (Race 1), Verticillium wilt, and spotted alfalfa aphid, moderate resistance to blue alfalfa aphid and low resistance to Aphanomyces. Its reaction to stem nematode has not been tested.
5. Breeder seed has been produced from cuttings of the parental clones in an isolation block as Syn. 1. Enough Breeder seed (Syn. 1) was produced for the expected life of the variety. Seed lots will be kept separate. Foundation seed will be produced from Breeder seed and Certified seed from either Breeder or Foundation seed. One generation each of Breeder and Foundation and two generations of Certified seed classes are recognized. A maximum of three years each is permitted on stands producing Breeder and Foundation seed, with five years for Certified seed.
6. Certified seed will be available spring of 1990.
7. Application for the Plant Variety Protection is undecided.
8. As a means of additional varietal protection, information included
with this application may be provided to the PVP office.