Abstract: Alfalfa is generally credited as the world’s most important perennial leguminous grass, with a huge potential for development and utilization. Root types of alfalfa are divided into tap rooted, branch rooted, creeping rooted and rhizomatous rooted. Many alfalfa belong to the tap rooted variety, which are fitted to be mowed. The tap rooted alfalfa has an obvious taproot and a vertical standing stem. Many variegated alfalfa belong to branch rooted variety, which are fitted both to be mowed and grazed. The branch rooted alfalfa has many lateral roots extended in a large area and a vertical or semi-vertical standing stem, but has no an obvious taproot. Compared with no-creeping rooted alfalfa, creeping rooted alfalfa has a high resistance on cold, arid, grazing and a large shaped area. The creeping rooted alfalfa has many horizontal roots extended in a large area and many adventitious buds, and the adventitious bud became a new plant in late. Rhizomatous rooted alfalfa are used to establish grass lands both for grazing and mowing, which has a relatively low root crown. The low root crown generated a stem similar to a root and the stem became a vegetative branch in late. Review paper of the past year in retrospect, a great number of studies have been focused on collecting forage resource, introduction, breeding, resistance evaluation, productivity evaluation, and genetic diversity of tap rooted and creeping rooted alfalfa at home and abroad. Mechanism, genetic characters and environment impact branch rooted of alfalfa were studied, but only a few studies have been focused on the contrast of different root types. Therefore, the ability of different root-type alfalfa to development root systems were studied for three years in semi-humid regions of Tianshui, semi-arid regions of Lanzhou and arid regions of Wuwei in Gansu Province to analyze their adaptabilities. The results showed rhizomatous rooted Medicago sativa cv. Qingshui was found with the shortest tap root length, the thinnest diameter of tap root and lateral root, the fewest lateral root numbers; creeping rooted native M. falcata material and M. varia cv. Gannong No.2 were found with longer tap root length, relatively diameter of thicker tap root and lateral root, more lateral root numbers; the indexes of tap rooted M. sativa cv. Longdong were found between rhizomatous rooted alfalfa and creeping rooted alfalfa, and was much closer with creeping rooted alfalfa. Diameters of tap root and lateral root were found grew faster of higher temperature in summer and autumn seasons. The volume and biomass of different root-type alfalfa decreased from tap soil to deep soil and increased with the age growth. Based on the integrated performance, rhizomatous rooted alfalfa was suitable for planting on semi-humid regions of Tianshui due to its root system development ability, creeping rooted alfalfa had the greater root system development ability in semi-arid regions of Lanzhou and arid regions of Wuwei, tap rooted alfalfa had the greater root system development ability in semi-humid regions of Tianshui and semi-arid regions of Lanzhou.