Study of the alfalfa collection in the conditions of the steppe of the Central Chernozem region according to the main economically valuable characteristics

In the southern regions of the country, the leading place among forage grasses belongs to alfalfa, as a more drought-resistant and high-yielding crop. Recently, there has been a warming of the climate on the planet, including in the Voronezh region. Unfavorable and extreme factors and stressful phenomena have become more frequent, such as an intense increase in air temperature in the spring and summer periods, a decrease in the amount of precipitation and the unevenness of their distribution during the growing season. All this leads to the oppression and reduction of crop productivity. Therefore, today, more than ever, the role of the variety and its potential in specific natural and climatic conditions of cultivation is increasing. In the creation of new varieties, it is important to select the source material, evaluate it and select the best samples with the necessary characteristics. The results of the evaluation of the source material in the collection nursery are presented. In order to breed new varieties of alfalfa in the conditions of the Central Chernozem region, the collection samples of this crop were evaluated according to the productivity of green mass and seeds, the most valuable of them were selected for further breeding.