MILLENNIUM
1. Millennium is a synthetic variety with 110 parent plants. Parents were selected based on clonal and/or progeny tests for forage yield, forage quality, fall dormancy reaction, persistence, pest resistance and/or multifoliolate leaf expression from breeding populations previously selected for persistence and/or resistance to one or more of the following pests: bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, anthracnose (race 1), Phytophthora root rot, Aphanomyces root rot (Race 1), and spotted alfalfa aphid. A combination of genotypic and phenotypic recurrent selection was used in the development of this variety. The parental populations from which all parent plants were derived trace to the following cultivars: Excalibur II (19%), Sterling (17%), DK127 (13%), 330 (120/6), LegenDairy (12%), MP2000 (8%),. Lightning (7%), Accord (70/o), and 5454 (5%). Breeder seed (syn1) was produced near Nampa, Idaho, in 1994. Breeder seed was harvested as the bulk from all plants. Approximate germplasm source contributions are: M. faicata (30/6), Ladak (4%), M. varia (250/6), Turkistan (5%), Flemish (59%), and Chilean (4%).
2. This variety is adapted to the north central U.S. This variety has been tested in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and will be used in the northern U.S. and eastern Canada.
3. This variety has fall dormancy similar to F134 checks and winter survival similar to WS2 checks. Flower color (syn2) is 82% purple and 18% variegated with a trace of yellow, cream and white. Millennium has high multifoliolate leaf expression.
4. This variety has high resistance to bacterial wilt, Fusariurn wilt, anthracnose (race 1), and Phytophthora root rot; resistance to Aphanomyces root rot (race 1), Verticillium wilt, spotted alfalfa aphid and pea aphid; and moderate resistance to stem nematode. Reaction to blue alfalfa aphid and root knot nematode have not been tested.
5. Seed increase is on a limited generation basis with one generation of breeder and two generations of foundation and certified seed classes. Breeder (syn1), foundation (syn2 or 3), and certified (syn3 or 4) classes will be recognized. Production of syn3 foundation seed requires consent of the breeder. Breeder seed was produced near Nampa, Idaho, in 1994. Sufficient foundation seed for the projected fife of the variety will be maintained by Forage Genetics. Stands of foundation and certified seed fields are limited to three and six years, respectively.
6. Certified seed will be marketed in 1998.
7. No decision has been made concerning Plant Variety Protection Act.
8. The information in this application can not be forwarded to the PVP office.
9. Variety name: Millennium
Experimental designations: FG 31,21
Date first accepted: January 1998
Date this amendment submitted: November 1, 1999