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Strain crosses have shown potential as a method of incorporating multiple‐pest resistance into alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars. Another application of strain crossing is to produce populations for further selection. Bee‐pollinated strain crosses increase the complexity of pollination patterns and decrease predictability as compared with hand‐pollinated strain crosses. This study was conducted to evaluate differences between reciprocal strain crosses as an indicator of percent crossing and to compare levels of resistance in reciprocal strain crosses with parental sources as an aid to selection. The parental sources and reciprocal strain crosses were evaluated for resistance to two diseases, one insect, forage yield, and fall dormancy. Approximately 90% of the reciprocals of strain crosses were significantly different for pest resistance and fall dormancy. This was attributed to crossing within parental sources. Level of pest resistance in reciprocals was approximately halfway between the midparent value and the parental source that would be expected if crossing between parental sources was 50%. This level of crossing between parental sources would significantly reduce the size of the required population for selection. Forage yields of reciprocal strain crosses were similar.

Lancer is photoperiod insensitive. The spikes are fusiform, middense, midlong, seminodding, apically awnletted; glumes are midwide, midlong to long, glabrous, and white; glume shoulders are square, few rounded and some slightly elevated, midwide to narrow; and glume beaks are midwide to acute. The kernels are hard, medium red, midsize, narrow to midwide, midlong, and elliptical to ovate; cheeks are rounded to angular; brush hairs are medium long; crease is midwide and middeep; and germ is midsize and round. Lancer is resistant to many of the prevalent races of leaf rust (caused, by Puccinia recondita Rob. ex. Desm. f. sp. tritici) and stem rust (caused by P. graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. and E. Henn.); moderately resistant to loose smut [caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr.] and common bunt [caused by Tilletia foetida (Wallr.) Liro and T. caries (DC) Tul]. The Canadian Expert Committee on Grain Quality has rated Lancer equal in breadmaking quality to 'Marquis' and noted that it had high flour yield, very good loaf volume, low (desirable) alpha-amylase activity, but marginal fari-nograph absorption. A more detailed description of the cultivar has been published (1). Breeder seed originating from a bulk of 192 breeder lines will be maintained by the Experimental Farm,