Patent Pending

StandFastTM Alfalfas Deliver Improved Standability and Up to 30% Faster Recovery After Harvest

David Johnson, Mark Darling, Doug Miller, & Jonathan Reich

West Salem, WI

StandFastStandFastTMTM Alfalfas Alfalfas

Key Features

High yielding varieties that carry the Standfast™Alfalfa Technology Traits for improved standability through bloom stage and faster recovery after harvest.

Patent Pending

Breaking the Yield Barrier

StandFastTM AlfalfasGenetic Background:A synthetic variety developed from crossing European germplasm screened for US adaptability onto elite US fall dormant plants selected for superior yield, forage quality, and persistence.

Patent Pending

StandFastTM alfalfas are the product of conventional breeding…not GMO’s!

A unique family of tall, fast growing alfalfas with improved standability!

Patent Pending

New Alfalfas with the StandFastTM Technology Traits

Patent PendingOn average, total alfalfa yield for the season decreases 0.5 tons DM/acre for each 1-inch of stem left in the field during the 3 summer cuts (Univ. WI)

Lodged alfalfa = harvest losses

You can see the remarkable differencesYou can see the remarkable differences between conventional varieties and alfalfas between conventional varieties and alfalfas

with with StandFast™StandFast™ traits.traits.

StandFastStandFast™ Alfalfas™ Alfalfas

Conventional alfalfasConventional alfalfas

Improved Standability!Improved Standability!

Patent Pending

Seed buyers now will be able to evaluate their alfalfa seed for

standability!

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Commercial Mercedes StandFast C Europe

Patent Pending

Mercedes =Check Variety withModerate Standability

Europe =Check Variety withHigh Standability

Similar Stem Diameter at Bloom Stage6/9/03

Entry Stem Diamter (mm)Vernal 3.58StandFast a 3.64StandFast b 3.90StandFast c 3.95Mercedes 3.98WinterGold 4.03Europe 4.29

LSD (0.05) 0.29C.V. (%) 5.59R2 0.91

Stem diameter measured with calipers at base of lowest nodeof 100 stems from each variety (25 stems from each of 4 reps).

StandFastTM Alfalfa2.62 cm/day growth

Conventional Alfalfa1.99 cm/day growth

Data from 8 cuttings on 3 trials through 21 days

30% Faster Recovery after 30% Faster Recovery after Harvest!Harvest!

Patent Pending

StandFastTM Alfalfa

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5 8 11 13 15 18 22Days after Cutting

Can

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StandFast Alfalfa

Conventional Alfalfa

30% Faster Recovery!

Patent Pending

StandFast™ varieties set new standard for recovery rate after harvest!

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Crop 1May

Crop 2June

Crop 3 July

Crop 4August

Feature: Faster Rate of Recovery (% advantage in blue)

Commercial

StandFast

Patent Pending

34.6%

42.1%

37.5%

31.8%

3.9% 16.8%

17.9%

3.0%Benefit: More Yield (% advantage in red)

1999 2000 2001 2002 Total 2cuts 4cuts 5cuts 5cuts 16cutsEntry T/A T/A T/A T/A T/A

StandFast 3.20 7.78 9.34 7.86 28.25

Conventional 3.20 7.51 8.58 6.84 26.12

Advantage 0.0% +3.6% +8.9% Advantage 0.0% +3.6% +8.9% +14.9% +8.2%+14.9% +8.2%

Patent Pending

Yield and Persistence

StandFastTM Alfalfa Persistence

Percent Stand after 3 winters and 17 cutsPercent Stand after 3 winters and 17 cuts

80.56%Trial Mean

55.00%Mercedes

58.75%Europe

92.50%Ascend

82.50%WinterGold

92.08%StandFast

% StandVariety

Patent Pending

Percent stand after 2 winters,10 cuts and 4 locations*.Percent stand after 2 winters,10 cuts and 4 locations*.

*IA, MN, WI (2)

79.8%Trial Mean

75.7%Rebound 4.2

77.2%Magnum V

77.2%WL 325HQ

79.4%Pioneer 54V54

82.8%StandFast

%StandVariety

StandFastTM Alfalfa Persistence

Patent Pending

Yield Milk/ Milk/Entry T/A RFQ Ton Acre

StandFast™ Alfalfas 6.82 192 2,986 20,372

Conventional Alfalfas 5.96 201 3,031 18,027StandFast™Advantage +14.4% -4.6% -1.5% +13.0%

Data from 4 cuttings during 2002, 4th year of stand

Patent Pending

Yield and Forage Quality

StandFast Yield & Quality

Yield Trial – Seeded April 2001 at West Salem, WI. Results shown are for crops 1, 2 and 3 of the 5 crops taken during the 1st hay year.

Patent Pending

Entry Tons/Ac CP RUP NDFD RFQ Milk/Ton

Milk/Acre StandFast 6.00 21.9 23.2 48.2 201 3,042 18,259

WinterGold 5.50 23.2 22.7 48.8 230 3,200 17,590 Magnum V 5.77 22.4 23.3 48.2 202 3,049 17,580 54V54 5.63 22.2 22.8 47.8 205 3,048 17,580 403T 5.47 23.2 23.5 48.6 215 3,119 17,067 WL 325HQ 5.51 23.0 22.8 47.9 211 3,075 16,929

StandFast Increases Total Season Production

Advantage of 5 cut vs 4 cut system NumberVariety of Cuts Tons/Acre RFQ Milk/Ton Milk/Acre

StandFast 4+1=5 8.85 201 3,042 27,022WL 325HQ 4+1=5 8.01 211 3,075 24,712

Advantage 10.5% - 4.7% -1.1% 9.3%

StandFast 3+1=4 7.69 145 2,650 20,387 WL 325HQ 3+1=4 7.42 149 2,680 19,943

Advantage 3.6% -2.7% -1.1% 2.2%

StandFast 4+1=5 8.85 201 3,042 27,022WL 325HQ 3+1=4 7.42 149 2,680 19,943

Advantage 19.3% 34.9% 13.5% 35.5%

Patent Pending

Management Keys• Best adapted to four and five cut harvest system across the

traditional fall dormancy 3, 4 and 5 production zones.• The fast recovery trait will help maximize total yield of high

quality forage each cropping season.• The fast recovery trait does not express itself fully until the

third crop of the seeding year if spring direct seeded.• The improved standability trait will provide in field

protection against yield loss starting the seeding year. • Will reach the late bud or early flower stage 3-5 days ahead

of current varieties with the same dormancy.• No observed soil type or management limitations.

StandFast Alfalfas

Patent Pending

Patent Pending

Minimize field loss to downed cropMinimize field loss to downed crop

More even distribution of yieldMore even distribution of yield

Reducing days between Reducing days between cuttingscuttings

Breaking the Yield Barrier

Patent Pending