1. Patriot is a 24 clone synthetic variety. Parent clones trace back through several intermediate steps to Teweles Multistrain, MSB, MSB--CW5, MNP--D1, Answer, Cherokee, WL312, Apollo, Iroquois, Lahontan and Dairyland experimentals. Dairyland experimentals trace back to Flandria, Culver, Vernal, Durastan, 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, Fusarium wilt, Phytophthora root rot, anthracnose, Verticillium wilt and Aphanomyces. The percent of germplasm sources are M. falcata (5), Ladak (35), Turkistan (5), Flemish (50), and Chilean (5).

2. Patriot is intended for use in the upper Midwest and Northeast region of the United States for hay, haylage, greenchop, and dehydration. States where it has been tested are Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Michigan.

3. Flower color in the Syn. 2 generation is approximately 87% purple, 13% variegated, with trace amounts of cream, white, and yellow. Growth habit in mid--summer is erect and semi--erect in the fall. Its fall dormancy is similar to the variety Saranac.

4. Patriot has resistance to bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, Phytophthora root rot, anthracnose (Race 1), Verticillium wilt, pea aphid, and moderate resistance to Aphanomyces, blue alfalfa aphid, and low resistance to spotted alfalfa aphid. 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 1991.

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.