Yield and Quality Performance of New Alfalfa Cultivars under Climate-Induced Drought Stress

Mihaela Popa¹, Maria Schitea², Elena Petcu¹, Matilda Ciucă¹, Daniel Cristina¹,
Margareta Naie³, Călin Sălceanu⁴, Iulia Vărzaru⁵

¹National Agricultural Research-Development Institute Fundulea
²“Gheorghe Ionescu-Şişeşti” Academy of Agricultural
and Forestry Sciences, Bucharest
³Agricultural Research and Development Station Secuieni
⁴Agricultural Research and Development Station Caracal
⁵The National Research - Development Institute for Animal Biology
and Nutrition (INCDBNA-IBNA), Balotești

Keywords: alfalfa, yield, quality, adaptability, molecular markers.

Abstract: Alfalfa is the most important forage crop in Romania. The main objectives in alfalfa breeding include improving quality, dry matter yield, as well as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.
Abiotic stress conditions cause extensive losses to agricultural production worldwide especial in perennial crops, like is alfalfa.
Climate change is expected to intensify drought and increase aridity in several key regions of Romania, particularly in the southern part of the country, as observed in 2025. Under these conditions, nine new varieties of alfalfa were studied for production, quality and adaptability.
In order to shorten the breeding process, in the last year also started works that include the selection assisted by molecular markers.
The experiments were in the second year of vegetation, they were installed in the spring of 2024 and will be studied and in the next year.