Kanza
1. Elite bacterial wilt resistance plants selected from polycross progenies of clones that trace to Kansas Common and Turkistan x Kansas Common derivatives were crossed with spotted alfalfa aphid resistant clones from Culver. The progenies were screened in the greenhouse for resistance to the pea aphid, spotted alfalfa aphid and bacterial wilt. Plants selected from the survivors on basis of agronomic characteristics and disease resistance in the field were crossed with plants derived from Cody through the same selection program. The seven parental plants of the synthetic KS12 were the result of reselection from the progenies for the same traits.
2. Winter hardiness of KS12 appears to be about equal to that of Cody and Buffalo. The variety has been tested in the North Central Region. The main usage will be for hay production and in rotational pastures.
3. Flower color ranges from blue to purple. Uniformity and fall dormancy are similar to Buffalo and Cody. Growth habit is upright, similar in height to Buffalo and Cody. Foliage is darker green than Buffalo and Cody. Resistant to bacterial wilt, pea aphid, and spotted alfalfa aphid. Pod color brown to black, coiled pods.
4. Parental clones are maintained by vegetative propagation at Manhattan, Kansas. Seed classes will be breeder, foundation, registered, and certified. Breeder seed (syn-l) is a composite of equal amounts of seed from each of the seven parent clones which are intercrossed under isolation. Foundation seed (syn-2) is the first generation grown from breeder seed. Breeder and foundation seed will be produced under the direction of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Registered seed (syn-3) is the first generation grown from foundation seed in the Central Alfalfa Region. Certified seed may be grown only from foundation or registered seed.
5. 1970.