S&W Seed Company (Nasdaq: SANW) today announced that its proprietary, non-dormant, high yieldalfalfa varieties marketed as "SW 9720" and "SW 9215" have been renamed "SW 9720S" and "SW 9215S."  The added "S" will serve to distinguish and emphasize the varieties as highly tolerant to salty soil and salty irrigation water.  The name change has been reviewed and authorized by the California Crop Improvement Association, the seed certifying agency under the California Seed Law.

In field trials conducted at UC Davis and the University of Arizona, SW 9720S and 9215S have consistently demonstrated high yields of high quality hay grown in a wide array of harsh farming conditions.  SW 9720S has won distinction as the number one high yielding alfalfa variety in university trials, and led all entries in both yield and feed quality in trials conducted at the USDA Salinity Laboratory where alfalfa and other forage species are under salt water irrigation management.  Similarly, SW 9215S has tested among the highest yielding salt-tolerant alfalfas certified to date, yielding 18% above salinity check varieties when irrigated with water with very high saline content.

Mark Grewal, President and CEO of S&W, stated, "Adding the 'S' to 9720 and 9215 is expected to allow S&W to achieve greater marketing differentiation for these alfalfa varieties, providing an important indicator to farmers that they are indeed well suited for yielding the highest quality hay grown in areas around the world where salty soil and salty irrigation would otherwise prohibit or greatly limit the production of essential forage crops."