Drought stress is one of the major factors that reduce plant growth and productivity. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of exogenous acetic acid pretreatment on drought stress tolerance response in plants. Fourteen-day-old alfalfa plants were pretreated with 15 mM acetic acid, and then subsequently subjected to drought stress for 6 days. The fresh weight and relative water content in the leaves of acetic acid pretreated alfalfa plants were increased compared to the control group. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were slightly decreased in the acetic acid treatment. The H2O2 and proline contents were also significantly decreased in the acetic acid treatment. These results suggest that the scavenging mechanism of reactive oxygen species in alfalfa activated by acetic acid pretreatment is involved in conferring tolerance to drought stress.

A new variety of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), named 'Alfaking' was developed between 2015 and 2023 at the Grassland and Forages Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Cheonan, Republic of Korea. The variety was produced through artificial hybridization, with ‘Paravivo’ serving as the maternal line and ‘WL514’ as the paternal line. ‘Alfaking’ underwent field tests across four regions (Cheonan, Pyeongchang, Jeongeup, and Jinju) to evaluate its agronomic characteristics and forage production over two years (2022-2023). The dry matter yield of ‘Alfaking’ reached 22,516 kg/ha, which is 11% higher than the control variety, ‘Vernal.’ ‘Alfaking’ exhibited 2.1% higher crude protein content than ‘Vernal’ in forage nutritive value. The development of this new alfalfa variety, which exhibits excellent adaptability to challenging environmental conditions, is expected to enhance forage cultivation and productivity in Korea.

The alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) is an important pest that causes significant damages to alfalfa crops, reducing yield and quality, but there’s a solution. This research had two main goals to evaluate the efficacy of insecticides available in Korea for alfalfa weevil control and to provide data for pest management studies. The experiment, conducted from 2023 to 2024 at the National Institute of Animal Science in Cheonan, Republic of Korea, included four treatment plots: control (CON), early-occurrence (EAR), mid-occurrence (MID), and late-occurrence (LAT). It also included two frequency plots with primary and secondary insecticide using 50% fenitrothion emulsion, which made it truly comprehensive study. The primary insecticide was applied at the first observation of the alfalfa weevil larvae, with subsequent secondary applications at specified intervals. The results showed that two-times insecticide applications significantly reduced larvae populations and increased yield and nutrient content compared to a single application. Specifically, control rates ranged from 94 to 94.7% on the third day after treatment and from 72.2 to 93.4% on the seventh day. Plots with two applications had higher yields and crude protein content. The study concluded that the timing and frequency of insecticide applications are critical to maximizing alfalfa yield and quality, emphasizing the importance of optimized application strategies for effective pest control.

This study aims to contribute to resolving the critical issue of weed management in newly established alfalfa fields, study has been conducted on effective herbicide use. The study evaluated the impact of various domestically available foliar herbicides on alfalfa phytotoxicity, weed control, yield, and nutritive value. The experiment was designed in a randomized complete block design with four treatments. Alfalfa ‘SW 5615’ seeded in the spring of 2024 on a 1 ha field (March 18), with herbicide treatments including fluazifop-P-butyl (FPB), bentazone (BEN), and a mixture of these herbicides (MIX). Herbicide efficacy, alfalfa yield, and nutritive value were assessed 30 days post-application. Results indicated that the MIX treatment achieved superior weed control comparable to hand weeding (HW), although it exhibited higher phytotoxicity, requiring extended recovery periods. While MIX led to lower overall yield, it enhanced alfalfa purity, resulting in higher crude protein (CP) content and relative feed value (RFV) compared to other treatments. The study concludes that despite the potential for increased phytotoxicity, mixed herbicide treatments could offer a strategic advantage in enhancing the quality of alfalfa feed through effective weed management, thereby improving CP and RFV, critical factors for the nutritional value of alfalfa. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing weed management practices in alfalfa cultivation, suggesting that mixed herbicide application, although associated with increased phytotoxicity on the plants, could improve the overall feed quality by reducing weed competition.

The objective of this study was to investigate the comparison of feeding a total mixed ration (TMR) containing imported alfalfa hay and TMR containing hot-air dried domestic alfalfa on rumination activity, milk production, and composition in lactating dairy cows. Ten Holstein dairy cows were divided into two groups: control (imported alfalfa hay + TMR) and treatment (hot-air dried domestic alfalfa + TMR) groups. The study was conducted over a total period of 18 days, including a 13-days adaptation period and a 5-days main experimental period. The results indicated no differences in total digestible nutrient and net energy intake between the imported and hot-air dried alfalfa. Body weight was not significantly different between the two groups (p>0.05), however, total feed intake and rumination time were significantly and tendentially higher in the treatment group compared with control group, respectively (p<0.001; p=0.075). Milk yield was not significantly different between the two groups (p>0.05), however, milk fat (kg) and lactose (%) concentration were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with control group (p=0.016; p=0.02). This study confirms that feeding TMR with hot-air dried domestic alfalfa results in no differences of feed intake, rumination activity, and milk productivity. Therefore, it is considered that hot-air dried domestic alfalfa can be used as a substitute for imported alfalfa on lactating dairy cows.

It would be advantageous to grow legume forage crops in order to increase the productivity and sustainability of sloped croplands in Hamkyongbukdo. In particular, the identification of potential cultivation areas for alfalfa in the given region could aid decision-making on policies and management related to forage crop production in the future. This study aimed to analyze the climate suitability of alfalfa in Hamkyongbukdo under current and future climate conditions using the Fuzzy Union model. The climate suitability predicted by the Fuzzy Union model was compared with the actual alfalfa cultivation area in the northern United States. Climate data obtained from 11 global climate models were used as input data for calculation of climate suitability in the study region to examine the uncertainty of projections under future climate conditions. The area where the climate suitability index was greater than a threshold value (22.6) explained about 44% of the variation in actual alfalfa cultivation areas by state in the northern United States. The climatic suitability of alfalfa was projected to decrease in most areas of Hamkyongbukdo under future climate scenarios. The climatic suitability in Onseong and Gyeongwon County was analyzed to be over 88 in the current climate conditions. However, it was projected to decrease by about 66% in the given areas by the 2090s. Our study illustrated that the impact of climate change on suitable cultivation areas was highly variable when different climate data were used as inputs to the Fuzzy Union model. Still, the ensemble of the climate suitability projections for alfalfa was projected to decrease considerably due to summer depression in Hamkyongbukdo. It would be advantageous to predict suitable cultivation areas by adding soil conditions or to predict the climate suitability of other leguminous crops such as hairy vetch, which merits further studies.

This study was conducted to determine the optimal spring seeding dates for alfalfa yield and feed value. The experiment was conducted annually for three years (2021~2023) at the field in the Department of Animal Resources Development, NIAS, located in Cheonan. The treatments involved six seeding dates ranging from February 24 to April 14, with 10days intervals. Alfalfa was harvested four times a year at the early flowering stage. Dry matter yield showed a tendency to decrease with delayed the seeding date. However, depending on the climatidc condisions in the seeding year, the dry matter yield on March 14 or 24 was comparable to that on February 24. Annual dry matter yield varied, influenced by the daylight conditions each year. The average feed value did not significantly differ within in the same year with delayed seeding dates (p>0.05). Therefore, the most stable period for alfalfa spring seeding in the central area of South Korea is considered to be from February 24 to April 4, with February 24 indentified as the optimal date.

본 연구는 수분함량과 미생물 첨가제가 알팔파 사일리지의 발효특성과 사료가치에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위해 수행되었다. 알팔파는 개화 10% 시기에서 수확되었으며 수분 함량(M60, M50, M40 및 M30)이 60, 50, 40 및 30%일 때 각각 이용하였다. 1500g을 샘플링한 후, 증류수 10mL을 첨가한 미첨가구(NAD)와 Lactococcus lactis 와 Pediococcus pentosaceus의 혼합물을 증류수(0.1g/10mL)에 1.5 x 1010cfu/g 농도로 희석한 후 접종한 미생물 균주 첨가구(ADD)를 3개월 및 6개월 발효하였다. 수분 및 미생물 첨가제에 따른 연평균 알팔파의 조단백, 중성세제 불용성 섬유 및 산성세제 불용성 섬유에서 차이가 없었다(p>0.05). 모든 발효기간에서 pH는 ADD의 M40에서 가장 낮았다(p<0.05). NAD 처리구에서는 젖산이 M50에서 가장 높았고(p<0.05), ADD 처리군에서는 M40 시험구에서 젖산이 가장 높았다(p<0.05). NAD와 ADD의 M60은 젖산 함량이 다른 수분 함량들에 비해 가장 낮으며(p<0.05) 낙산이 유일하게 검출되었다. 미생물군집의 상대적 풍부도는 ADD 처리구의 M40과 M50에서 Homo LAB (Enterococcus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, Lactococcus, Pediococcus)의 비율이 가장 높았고, Clostridium은 M60에서 가장 높았다.

Iron (Fe) is a vital element for plants and other organisms, involving in several physiological processes including respiration, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and photosynthesis. Unfortunately, how Fe accumulation regulates in response to light quality has not been well established in plants. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore the mechanism of Fe homeostasis by light quality. In this study, we found morpho-physiological attributes were significantly improved in response to blue (λmax: 450) compared to white (λ max: 500) and red (λmax: 660) light. The root-shoot length, plant biomass, photosynthesis efficiency (Fv/Fm) and leafgreen (SPAD) significantly declined in response to white and red light. However, these parameters were improved and iron deficiency was substantially alleviated by blue light exposure in alfalfa seedlings. This study might be useful to the forage breeders and farmers for improving alfalfa yield and nutritional benefits.

Silicon (Si) has the potential to improve plant growth and stress tolerance. The study aimed to explore Si-involving plant responses and molecular characterization of different Si-responsive genes in alfalfa. In this study, the exogenous supplementation of Si enhanced plant growth, and biomass yield. Si-acquisition in alfalfa root and shoot was higher in Si-supplemented compared to silicon deficient (-Si) plants, implying Si-acquisition has beneficial on alfalfa plants. As a consequence, the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) was significantly increased in silicon-sufficient (+Si) plants. The quantitative gene expression analysis exhibited a significant upregulation of the Lsi1, Lsi2, Lsi3, NIP5;1, and NIP6;1 genes in alfalfa roots, while BOR1, BOR4, NIP2, and NIP3 showed no significant variation in their expression. The MEME results further noticed the association of four motifs related to the major intrinsic protein (MIP). The interaction analysis revealed that NIP5;1 and Lsi1 showed a shared gene network with NIP2, BOR1, and BOR4, and Lsi2, Lsi3 and NIP3-1, respectively. These results suggest that members of the major intrinsic proteins (MIPs) family especially Lsi1, Lsi2, Lsi3, NIP5;1, and NIP6;1 genes helped to pass water and other neutral solutes through the cell membrane and those played significant roles in Si uptake and transport in plants. Together, these insights might be useful for alfalfa breeding and genome editing approaches for alfalfa improvement.

This study was conducted to determine the appropriate seeding dates by verifying the difference in winter survival and productivity of alfalfa according to fall sowing dates in the central area of South Korea. The experiment was conducted for 2 years (2020 and 2021) at the field in the Department of Animal Resources Development, NIAS located in Cheonan. Sowing dates started from September 18 to November 8 with 10 days of intervals during 2020 and 2021; SO1 (September 18), SO2 (September 28), SO3 (October 8), SO4 (October 18), SO5 (October 28), and SO6 (November 8). After sowing, the winter survival rate was measured in the spring of the following year, and the dry matter yield was measured by harvesting at 10% flowering and harvesting five times a year. SO6 failed to winter survival, and SO5 also had a lower winter survival rate than SO1~4 (p<0.05). The average annual dry matter yield of alfalfa linearly decreased with delaying sowing dates (p<0.05). The feed value did not differ in the same year by delaying the sowing date in the same year. These results suggest that sowing date should be started before October 18 to increase winter survival and productivity of alfalfa in the central area of South Korea.

This study was to investigate the cultivation technique previously conducted cultivation research for the stable production of alfalfa and to present further research. The data used in the study were 270 alfalfa cultivation experimental data from 1983 to 2008, indicating the cultivation region, field type, variety, sowing, cutting frequency, fertilization, and dry matter yield (DMY). The average DMY of alfalfa in the Republic of Korea was 12,536 kg/ha, which differed greatly depending on the cultivated region. Most of the field type was cultivated in upland. In order to increase alfalfa production, it is necessary to use reclaimed and unused land, and research on the soil amendment matter to improve the soil condition is needed. Alfalfa varieties cultivated an amount of 53, but collected data no studies considered fall dormancy, the criteria for selecting alfalfa varieties, so further research is required. The fertilizer did not consider each component at various levels, and research is needed as the demand for fertilizer. In particular, research on potassium is needed considering the increase in alfalfa production. The alfalfa cutting frequency differed in the estimated pasture production period depending on the region, and the DMY tended to increase with increasing cutting frequency. This suggests that the alfalfa DMY can be increased according to the cutting frequency in the Republic of Korea, so research is needed to present the appropriate cutting frequency.

Alfalfa is one of the most useful forage crops worldwide, containing a high level of amino acids that are essential to both human and animal health. However, amino acids and their concentrations may differ between plant parts. Hence, detecting amino acids in different plant parts would be useful in the development of diet supplements. The purpose of this study was to determine the amino acid content in alfalfa leaves, stems, and inflorescences using an amino acid analyzer. Asparagine and glutamic acid were the most abundant amino acids found in stems, leaves, and inflorescences than other amino acids. All parts of alfalfa had low concentrations of cysteine and methionine. All amino acids except asparagine were present in the highest concentration in leaves followed by inflorescences. Leaf had a rich amino acid content, namely asparagine, glutamic acid, leucine, proline, and lysine. However, the stem had a lower amino acid composition than the leaf or inflorescence. Overall, the data showed determining the amino acid content of forages provides a good approach to making animal feed with essential and specific amino acids and preventing excessive inclusion of amino acids.

This study aimed to examine the changes in dry matter yield and growth characteristics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in response to variations in sowing dates during the autumn season of 2021-22 in a dry paddy field of Chilbo-myeon, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do. Treatments comprised four sowing dates at 10-day intervals, i.e., October 8, October 18, October 28, and November 8, 2021. The winter survival rate of alfalfa showed a significant difference between different treatments but was at a satisfactory level for all (p<0.05). The winter survival rate for the fourth sowing date, a month later than the first sowing date, was approximately 11.7% lower than that for the first sowing date. The plant height ranged between 82.3–93.1 cm and 60.5–63.7 cm at the first and second harvest, respectively, smaller at the second harvest than at the first harvest. The total dry matter yield of alfalfa was the highest at 13,316 kg/ha for the first sowing date, and the later the sowing date, the lower the dry matter yield. The protein content of alfalfa ranged between 13.6–17.3% in the first harvest, lower than the standard alfalfa protein content of 20% or more. In relative feed value, the first sowing (Oct. 8) was the most significantly higher in the first harvest (p<0.05). These results suggest that the early and mid-October sowing dates are optimum for sowing alfalfa during autumn and result in improved plant growth, dry matter yield, protein content, and winter survival compared to those at later sowing dates. Therefore, dry paddy fields can be safely employed for alfalfa cultivation with sowing dates in early and mid-October during autumn.

Aluminum (Al) is one of the major factors adversely affects crop growth and productivity in acidic soils. In this study, the effect of Al on plants in soil was investigated by comparing the protein expression profiles of alfalfa roots exposed to Al stress treatment. Two-week-old alfalfa seedlings were exposed to Al stress treatment at pH 4.0. Total protein was extracted from alfalfa root tissue and analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. A total of 45 proteins differentially expressed in Al stress-treated alfalfa root tissues were identified, of which 28 were up-regulated and 17 were down-regulated. Of the differentially expressed proteins, 7 representative proteins were further confirmed for transcript accumulation by RT-PCR analysis. The identified proteins were involved in several functional categories including disease/defense (24%), energy (22%), protein destination (9%), metabolism (7%), transcription (5%), secondary metabolism (4%), and ambiguous classification (29%). The identification of key candidate genes induced by Al in alfalfa roots will be useful to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of Al stress tolerance in alfalfa plants.

본 연구에서는 건열처리를 통해 알팔파 종자에 접종된 Bacillus cereus ATCC 12480, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC SSA81, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 43894, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028을 발아율에 영향 없이 불활성화 시키는 조건(65oC 에서 21일, 70oC에서 16일, 75oC에서 10일, 80oC에서 7일)을 조사하였다. 알팔파 종자를 6-7 log CFU/g 수준으로 접종 하고 65, 70, 75, 80oC로 건열처리 한 후, 발아율을 확인 하였다. 알팔파 종자의 발아율은 시장에 유통되고 있는 알 팔파 새싹의 발아율 기준인 70%로 설정하였다. 알팔파 종 자에서 B. cereus는 65oC에서 21일, 70oC에서 18일, 75oC 에서 14일, 80oC에서 4일, Listeria monocytogenes는 65oC에서 21일, 70oC에서 18일, 75oC에서 12일, 80oC에서 7일, S. aureus는 65oC에서 18일, 70oC에서 18일, 75oC에서 11 일, 80oC에서 4일, E. coli O157:H7은 65oC에서 21일, 70oC 에서 18일, 75oC에서 12일, 80oC에서 6일, Sal. Typhimurium 은 65oC에서 24일, 70oC에서 22일, 75oC에서 14일, 80oC 에서 7일 이상 건열처리 하였을 때 완전히 불활성화 되었 다. 모든 균주는 65oC에서 80oC로 온도가 상승할 때 특정 온도에서 세균의 90%를 죽이는 데 필요한 시간인 D-값 (R2=0.5656−0.7957)이 유의미하게 감소하였다(P<0.05). 80oC 에서 7일간 건열처리 하였을 때 발아율이 70% 미만으로 감소하였기 때문에 75oC에서 14일간 건열처리 하는 것이 알팔파 종자의 안전성을 확보하는데 있어 가장 효과적인 방법이다. 이 연구는 알팔파 종자의 안전성을 확보하고 일 정한 품질의 새싹을 생산하는데 기초자료로 이용될 것으 로 기대된다.

This experiment was conducted to establish the technology for artificial hay preparation in Korea. Using far-infrared heater, a device that can control temperature, airflow, and far-infrared radiation was produced and conducted on the fourth harvested alfalfa. The drying conditions were carried out by selecting a total of four conditions. For each condition, the radiation rate was set to around 40% (33-42%), and the temperature was set at 58~65℃, and the speed of the airflow was fixed at 60m/s. The overall drying time was set to 30 min in the single and 60 min (30-30 min) and 90 min (30-30-30 min) in the complex condition, and the radiation rate and temperature were changed by time period. In the case of drying condition 1, the final dry matter (DM) content was 46.26%, which did not reach a DM suitable for hay. However, all of the alfalfa corresponding to the remaining drying conditions 2 to 7 showed a DM content of 80% or more, resulting in optimal alfalfa hay production. In power consumption according to the drying conditions, the second drying condition showed the lowest at 4.7 KW, and the remaining drying conditions were as high as 6.5 to 7.1 KW. The crude protein content was found to be high at an average of 25.91% and it showed the highest content in the 5th drying condition (26.93%) and the lowest value in the 6th drying condition (25.16%). The digestibility showed a high value with an average of 84.90%, and there was no significant difference among treatments (p>0.05). Considering the above results, it was judged that drying condition 2 was the most advantageous.

This study was conducted to examine the dry matter yield and weed control of alfalfa according to postemergence herbicides treatment during spring seeding alfalfa. The seeding time of alfalfa was April 21, 2021, the seeding amount was 20 kg/ha, and the seeding method was by 20 cm wide. The alfalfa harvest was carried out at the early bloom stage (10% of flowering), and the harvest date was June 29, 2021. The test treatments were non herbicide (NH), hand weeding (HW), herbicide 1 (Trifluralin, H1), herbicide 2 (S-metolachlor, H2), herbicide 3 (Alachlor, H3), and herbicide 4 (Pendimethalin, H4). Alfalfa plant height was significantly highest in H2 (62.1±1.4 cm) followed by H3 (61.7±1.6 cm), HW (58.5±1.0 cm), H1 (57.2±1.3 cm), H4 (56.1±1.3 cm), and NH (54.1±1.2 cm) (p<0.05). Based on HW, H2 and H3 were high and H1 and H4 were short, but NH was significantly shorter than HW and H1~H4 (p<0.05). The dry matter yield of alfalfa in NH, HW, H1, H2, H3, and H4 were 717.2±94.2, 2,613.8±254.1, 1,667.8±94.1, 2,498.3±120.2, 2,435.0±118.3, and 1,793.7±354.3 kg/ha. HW is the highest among them (p<0.05). The feed composition of alfalfa was 22~24% of the dry matter yield, and the CP content were significantly higher in NH (23.6 %) (p<0.05). The NH had higher (p<0.05) NDF and ADF, but RFV was lower (p<0.05). The weed plant height was NH 98.0±3.3cm, HW 73.3±1.7 cm, H1 91.9±1.5 cm, H2 53.3±5.8 cm, H3 81.4±3.5 cm and H4 96.6±2.2 cm, and H2 was significantly smallest in the group (p<0.05). The weed dry matter yield was NH 4,770.4±232.5 kg/ha, HW 316.3±91.9 kg/ha, H1 2,353.4±173.7 kg/ha, H2 114.5±10.2 kg/ha, H3 752.7±440.6 kg/ha and H4 2,220.6±775.6 kg/ha. The weed control value was HW 94.1%, H1 53.5%, H2 98.2%, H3 84.9%, H4 48.7%, the weed value of H2 is similar to weed control value of HW. Considering the above results, postemergence herbicide treatment controlled weeds by more than 50% compared with no treatment, and among herbicides, H2 (S-metolachlor) was found to be on a similar level to hand weeding.

본 연구는 객토를 한 간척지에서 석고시용 수준이 알팔파의 수량과 사료성분에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 수행하였다. 실험장소는 간척한지 17~33년 경과된 석문간척지로서 약 70 cm 정도 객토한 토양이었다. 객토에 사용한 흙은 섬토양의 제염을 하지 않은 것 이었다. 처리는 석고를 시용하지 않은 0 ton/ha 구(G0), 석 고를 2 ton/ha(G2) 및 4 ton/ha(G4) 시용한 구로 하였다. 수확은 알팔파가 개화초기(개화 10%)에 도달할 때 1차 수확하였으며 이 후 수확은 약 35일 간격으로 수확을 하였다. 알팔파의 건물수량은 1차 년도는 G2가 G0와 G4보다 유의적으로 높았으며 2차 년도는 처리간 유의적인 차이는 없었으나 G2가 G0와 G4보다 높은 경향을 보였다. G2에서 알팔파의 건물수량이 높은 이유는 토양의 pH 및 EC가 각각 재배가능 및 재배적합 수준이었고 피복도 및 알팔파 식생비율도 높은 것에 기인하였다. 1차 및 2차 년도 모두 석고 처리 간 CP, NDF 및 ADF 함량 및 RFV는 차이가 없었다. 한편 1차 및 2차 년도의 연구결과를 통해서 알팔파 건물수량에 부정적인 영향을 주는 요인은 봄의 가뭄과 여름의 집중된 강수로 나타났다. 이상으로부터 객토 간척지에서 석고 처리는 알팔파의 건물수량을 높이는데 효과적인 것으로 판단되며 2 ton/ha이 적정 수준인 것으로 사료된다.

Pollution of agricultural soil by alkaline salts, such as Na2CO3, is a critical and long-lasting problem in cultivable land. The aim of the study was to examine the putative role of citric acid (CA) in alleviating Na2CO3-stress in alfalfa. In this study, Na2CO3 significantly induced leaf chlorosis, inhibited plant growth and photosynthesis related parameters, increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and reduced major antioxidant enzymes (SOD ,CAD, APX) in alfalfa. However, the presence of CA these negative effects of Na2CO3-stress largely recovered. Interestingly, expression of antioxidant and ion transporter genes (Fe-SOD, CAT, APX, DHAR and NHX1) involved in Reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and oxidative stress tolerance in alfalfa. These findings suggest that CA-mediated Na2CO3 stress alleviation is an ecofriendly approach that would be useful to local farmer for alfalfa and other forage crop cultivation in alkaline soils.