Kauke: A new alfalfa cultivar with high persistence and productivity in the Mediterranean drylands of Chile

Mediterranean dryland environments are among the most threatened by climate change.The objective of this work was to report the agronomic value of 'Kauke', a new alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivar developed by INIA's Alfalfa Breeding Program for the Mediterranean drylands of Chile.'Kauke' was developed using a withinfamily selection method from an interspecific hybrid between M. sativa and M. arborea L. Multi-location trials were established across five sites representing a gradient of dryland environments.Results showed that 'Kauke' exhibited a highly significant Genotype  Location interaction.In the most stressed environments (Cauquenes and Portezuelo), 'Kauke' produced 40% more forage yield than control cultivars (ACB650 and WL903).Furthermore, 'Kauke' demonstrated superior persistence, maintaining a plant density 40% higher than control cultivars after three growing seasons in drought-prone areas.Categorized as a semi-dormant type (Fall Dormancy 7), 'Kauke' represents a strategic breakthrough for adapting rainfed agriculture to new climatic scenarios in central-south Chile.