1. Pershing is a 150 clone synthetic variety. Parent plants were selected out of forage yield plots near Visalia, CA. Parent plants were selected out of PGI 8621C. These parent plants were evaluated for Fusarium wilt, stem nematode, root-knot nematode, spotted alfalfa aphid resistance; crown health, fall dormancy and seed production. The percent of germplasm sources are: Indian(25), African(50) and Arabian(25).
2. Pershing is adapted and intended for use in the Southwestern Region of the United States. The states where it has been tested are California and New Mexico.
3. Pershing is a non-dormant, fall dormancy 8 variety. Flower color in the Syn. 2 generation is 90% purple, 10% variegated with trace amounts of cream, white and yellow.
4. Pershing has high resistance to Fusarium wilt, Phytophthora root rot, spotted alfalfa aphid, northern root-knot nematode(M. halpa); resistance to pea aphid, blue alfalfa aphid, stem nematode, southern root-knot nematode(M. incognita); moderate resistance to bacterial wilt and low resistance to anthracnose(Race 1) and Verticillium wilt. It has not been tested for Aphanomyces root rot(Race 1).
5. Breeder seed was produced from bulking seed of parent plants planted in field isolation to produce Syn.1 seed near Sloughhouse, CA in 1993. Foundation seed (Syn.2) was produced from Breeder seed and Certified seed (Syn. 3) from Foundation seed. One generation each of Breeder, Foundation and Certified seed classes are recognized. A maximum of three harvest years each is permitted on stands producing Breeder and Foundation seed with five years for Certified seed. Sufficient Breeder seed for the projected life of the variety will be maintained by Dairyland Research International.
6. Certified Seed was available fall of 1999.
7. Application for the Plant Variety Protection is undecided.
8. Information in the NAVRB application can be forwarded to the PVP office.
9. Variety name: Pershing Date submitted: November 25, 1998 Experimental designations: DS482