Introducing Surge HG Alfalfa
Introducing Surge HG with Hi-Gest™ Alfalfa Technology. Improve fiber digestibility and forage quality while maintaining yield, persistence and multiple pest resistance.
Surge HG is a medium tall variety with a dense, leafy canopy and high leaf-to-stem ratio. As a non-transgenic variety, Surge HG does not require special stewardship management considerations. Surge HG has the flexibility to adjust to aggressive harvest systems to maximize yield and quality or to more relaxed schedules focused on tonnage. Lodging tolerance is comparable to other high-yielding competitive varieties.
Improved Fiber Digestibility
Lignin is a complex organic compound that hardens and strengthens plant cell walls. In mature plants, lignin negatively affects forage quality and interferes with animal digestion. Through focused breeding, Hi-Gest varieties offer high yield and improved fiber digestibility. This improvement in fiber digestibility increases the rate of fiber digestion, which can improve animal intake by 5-10%; the extent of fiber digestion by 5-10%, and crude protein by 3-5%*. The net impact can be 2.5 lbs or more of milk per cow per day.
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Variety | Surge HG |
| Use | Hay |
| Root Habit | Tap Root |
| Plant Type | Upright Multifoliate |
| Preferred Growing Conditions | Widely Adapted |
| Production Period | Spring – Fall |
| Key Features |
|
| Limitations |
|
| Approx. Seeds/lb | 225,000 |
| Environmental Tolerances | |
|---|---|
| Winter Hardiness | Very Good |
| Drought Tolerance | Good |
| Flooding Tolerance | Low |
| Optimus PH | 6.0-7.8 |
| Acidity Tolerance | Low to Moderate |
| Alkalinity Tolerance | Moderate to High |
| Salinity Tolerance | Low to Moderate |
* The increased rate of fiber digestion, extent of digestion, and crude protein data was developed from replicated research and on-farm testing. During the 2015 growing season at West Salem, WI and Woodland, CA, the following commercial dormant, semi-dormant and non-dormant alfalfa varieties were compared head-to-head with Hi-Gest™ alfalfa for rate of digestion, extent of digestion and percent crude protein; America’s Alfalfa Brand Ameristand 427TQ, Croplan Brands LegenDairy XHD and Artesia Sunrise, Fertizona Brand Fertilac, S&W Seeds Brands SW6330, SW7410 and SW10, and WL Brands WL 319HQ and WL 354HQ. Also during the 2015 growing season, 32 on-farm Hi-Gest hay and silage samples were submitted to Rock River Laboratory, Inc. for forage analysis. The results for rate of digestion, extent of digestion and per cent crude protein were averaged and compared to the 60-day and four-year running averages for alfalfa in the Rock River database which included approximately 1,700 alfalfa hay and 3,800 silage 60-day test results and 23,000 hay and 62,000 silage tests results in the four-year average.
