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Little River, TX | All I do know is in the 1960's the Pea Aphid about destroyed the old susceptible to everything alfalfa used then.
I look for the very best aphid resistance I can get because I do not to repeat.
My aphid scouting now consists of looking on the mower deck after harvest at all the bugs and there is a good supply of aphids. They do not appear to be harming production, but than again production here has never been as good as in the Irrigated West or many areas of the Humid East.
I would suspect the aphids are not a major problem, or the seed breeders in the NE would try to breed better aphid resistance into their offerings, I have noted that the hopper resistant varieties mostly have little or no aphid resistance. I understand the Potato Leaf Hopper is an annual event in the NE and much of the Corn Belt.
As I understand the aphid resistance in alfalfa, the plants do not kill the aphids, the resistance simply keeps the aphids from pulling down the alfalfa. Highly Resistant just means that in a bad infestation half the alfalfa plants will survive.
In PA Marvin Hall seems to be a good Extension Forage Specialest. I expect you can contact him through your local Extension Office and he can give you some good ideas.
I am not real happy with him in one thing. PA hosted the AFGC annual conference last June. When June is the one month in the entire year where every hay producer in the nation is busy putting up hay.
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Alfalfa Varieties listing for 2008
