The need and how of breeding alfalfa for salt tolerance

As more salt-tolerant alfalfa varieties are developed, managing high soil salinity should become increasingly achievable for forage producers in the western U.S. Highly saline soils have been a thorn in the side of alfalfa producers in arid regions of the United States for years. Soils that are high in salt can limit alfalfa yields, and have a negative effect on plant emergence and health.