Variation for reproductive and agronomic traits among T. repens × T. nigrescens third generation backcross hybrids in the field

Interspecific hybridisation with Trifolium nigrescens Viv. is a possible strategy to improve the reproductive potential of white clover (Trifolium repens L.). Following the development of a fertile F1 hybrid, three generations of backcrossing have been carried out usingT. repens as the recurrent parent. Vegetative characteristics, stolon growth and seed yield components of the backcross (BC) 2 and 3 generations, as well as the parental species were measured on spaced plants grown in the field. Leaf size and plant spread of the BC2 and BC3 generations were less than T. repens but there was no difference in plant fresh weight. Numbers of inflorescences per plant and florets per inflorescence of the backcrosses were greater than T. repens however this was not reflected indifferences in seed yield per plant asT. repens had more seeds per floret and per plant than the backcrosses. Differences in stolon length, the proportion of flowering nodes and the pattern of axillary bud development were observed between T. repens and the backcrosses. Significant variation among the BC 3 generation for vegetative and reproductive traits was observed. Individual plants among the BC 3 generation were identified that combine high forage yield, substantial inflorescence production and good fertility, and these will form the basis of further selection. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structure and variation of subterranean clover populations from Sicily,Italy

Summary A collection of subterranean clover lines singled out from populations of the species Trifolium brachycalycinum and T. subterraneum collected in Sicily, Italy, was examined at two localities for flowering time and at one locality for oestrogen content and seed yield. The structure and variation of the populations of the two species were compared. The relationship between flowering time of the populations and some environmental features of their collection sites was examined to assess whether the maturity requirements of the two species were similar and to frame selection models focused on developing varieties of appropriate maturity. Populations of T. subterraneum were, on average, more complex than those of T. brachycalycinum, being characterized by higher number of lines per population and greater intra-population variation for flowering time, oestrogen content and seed yield. Furthermore, populations of T. subterraneum were, on average, about 15 days earlier than sympatric populations of T. brachycalycinum. Both the greater variation and the relative earliness of T. subterraneum occurred irrespective of the environments of origin of the populations. Inferences are drawn on the adaptive advantages that such features confer to T. subterraneum. Mean flowering time of the populations increased on increasing annual rainfall and altitude of the collection sites. However, the changes in maturity appeared almost exclusively related to variations in rainfall in T. subterraneum, while in T. brachycalycinum the effect of altitude was greater and that of rainfall less marked than in the former species.     

Molecular Characterization of the USDA White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) Core Collection by RAPD Markers

White clover is one of the most important forage legume species worldwide, playing an important role in Southern Brazil temperate cultivated pastures. This work was aimed to characterize the genetic variability of the USDA white clover core collection formed by 78 accessions representing 50 countries, together with two very well known cultivars (Huia and Ladino Regal), using RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers to produce genetic fingerprints. There were used DNA bulks formed by the extraction and mixture of 20 random individuals from each accession. Twenty four primers were used, which revealed from 3 to 29 bands, forming a total of 371 polymorphic bans and only one monomorphic, ranging from 50 to 3098 bp. The results showed a genetic similarity among the accessions, ranging from 0.18 to 0.58 (Jaccard’s index), with an average of 0.24, allowing the identification of each individual accession using just three primers. The results also showed a large genetic variability within the white clover core collection, probably due to its reproduction mode and ploidy level, which could be used in plant breeding program.     

Use of poultry manure and plant cultivation for the reclamation of burnt soils

Annual (Pisum sativum L. and Vicia sativa L.) and perennial (Trifolium repens L. and Lotus corniculatus L.) leguminous species were grown in pots containing samples from the ash layers of two Cambisols under Pinus sylvestris L., which has been affected by high-intensity wildfires 3 and 15 days before the sampling. The gramineous Lolium perenne L. was cultivated as a second plant after Trifolium and Lotus harvesting. Three treatments were compared: soils without fertilization and soils fertilized with two doses of poultry manure (1 and 2 g total N kg^-1 dry soil). The aim of the work was to study the capacity of the ash layer to sustain vegetation and the influence of plants and organic manure on the recovery of vegetation cover, ash layer fixation and soil structure formation to avoid erosion. The ash samples were able to sustain vegetation without fertilization. The organic manure increased the yields of all the plants tested, the lower dose being the optimal for the first crop whereas the higher dose was beneficial for the second crop. The annual legumes grew very quickly. The mixture of Trifolium and Lotus seemed very suitable for reclamation of soil degraded by wildfires because Trifolium produced more phytomass than Lotus in the first growing stages whereas the development of Lotus was higher in the later growing stages. Ash layer conditions did not inhibit nodulation, which was, however, stimulated by the organic manure, particularly in the case of Lotus. Lolium after perennial legumes was the best plant combination because it produced the highest phytomass, particularly root phytomass, and thus improved vegetation cover and ash layer fixation. All the plants tested improved the formation of soil aggregates, particularly the combination of perennial legumes and Lolium. However, wet aggregate stability was higher when plants were grown on soils fertilized with poultry manure than when plants were cropped on unmanured soils, which points to the favourable influence of the organic manure on soil aggregation.     

Use of nutrient: phosphorus ratios to evaluate the effects of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza on nutrient uptake in unsterilized soils

Summary Red clover was grown in soil previously treated with P at various rates, and growth, nutrient uptake, nutrient uptake in relation to phosphorus values, and levels of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) infection were determined. The soil was a silty clay loam and Glomus lacteum was the only fungus colonizing the plant roots. An examination of the effects of various rates of P application and of VAM colonization on nutrient (P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn) uptake showed that the Mg : P ratio significantly increased and the Mn : P ratio significantly decreased with increasing VAM infection. It is concluded that in the Trifolium pratense-Glomus lacteum symbiosis, mycorrhizae improve Mg uptake and depress Mn uptake.     

野生马蹄金种质资源的RAPD鉴别

采用RAPD分子标记技术,从100个随机引物中筛选出多态性强、重复性好且稳定性高的引物22个,对西南区16份抗性较强、坪用价值较高的马蹄金Dichondra repens材料进行扩增,共扩增出269条带,其中多态性带246条,多态性比率为91.45%,表明野生马蹄金植物种间有丰富的遗传多态性。采用UPGMA法聚类分析,在遗传距离0.73处把马蹄金材料分为4类,部分地理上相近的马蹄金种质资源被聚在了不同的大类中,分类结果能将优异马蹄金材料区分开来,与景观价值评定较吻合。     

丛枝菌根真菌接种对白车轴草耐盐性的影响

丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)可与植物共生形成复杂的菌丝网络,影响植物生长及抗逆能力。目前关于AMF对白车轴草耐盐性的影响尚存争议,本研究采用盆栽试验,研究在盐胁迫条件下(NaCl浓度为150 mmol·L^-1),接种AMF对拉丁诺白车轴草耐盐性的影响。结果表明,在盐胁迫条件下,与对照相比,白车轴草的生长与生理指标均受到抑制。盐胁迫下接种AMF后,白车轴草株高、干重、PSⅡ最大光能转换效率和相对含水量均有增加,丙二醛(MDA)含量以及相对电导率有所降低,渗透调节物质均有提高,其中可溶性糖(SS)和游离脯氨酸(Pro)含量分别提高了32.03%和9.42%。说明盐胁迫抑制白车轴草的生长,接种AMF增强了白车轴草抗逆适应能力,促进白车轴草的生长,增加渗透调节物质含量,提高白车轴草耐盐胁迫的能力。     

长期施肥红壤钾有效性研究

目的探讨不同钾肥水平对盆栽现蕾期海法白三叶(Trifolium repens L.cv.Haifa)光合特性、生物量及根系形态的影响。方法设置0、60、120、180、240和300 kg/hm² (以K₂SO₄计算) 6个施钾水平处理的盆栽试验,测定海法白三叶植株的光合参数及根系形态指标。结果(1)施钾60 kg/hm²可显著提高植株叶片的叶绿素含量(P< 0.05),比对照增加11.56%;施钾肥120 kg/hm²可显著提高植株叶片的净光合速率、气孔导度和蒸腾速率(P< 0.05),分别比对照增加29.04%、45.03%和77.17%,且可有效降低植株叶片的胞间CO₂浓度(P< 0.05),比对照减少2.24%。(2)施钾120 kg/hm²可明显提高植株的根干重、地上部干重和根冠比(P< 0.05),分别比对照增加25.55%、17.31%和7.25%。(3)施钾60 kg/hm²可显著提高植株的总根长及根系活力(P< 0.05),分别比对照增加13.10%和29.82%;施钾120 kg/hm²可明显提高植株的总根表面积、总根体积和根系可溶性糖含量(P< 0.05),分别比对照增加33.10%、20.00%和31.00%,但施钾对白三叶根系平均直径的影响不显著(P>0.05)。结论在中钾酸性土壤中,种植海法白三叶推荐施钾量为60~120 kg/hm²。     

Genetic variation in a Norwegian germplasm collection of white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Phenotypic (r_p), genotypic (r_g), genotype × location (r_gl) and error (r_e)correlations for important agronomic characters were estimated for eleven Norwegian populations of white clover (Trifolium repens L.), originating from between 58^°52′N and 69^°30′N latitude, and from altitudes of 10 to 450 m a.s.l. The populations were evaluated in monoculture clonal field plots for two years at two locations in Norway. All pairwise correlations between foliage height, leaflet length, dry matter yield (DMY) and general performance were positive and significant. Winter survival was positively correlated with general performance, spring growth and DMY, but negatively associated with internode length, while seed yield showed a small positive genotypic correlation with foliage height. Considerable differences were, however, revealed among populations with regard to sign and magnitude of the estimated correlations. Within-population estimates of r_g were consistently positive between DMY, general performance and most other characters; between foliage height on the one hand and leaflet length, winter survival and seed yield on the other hand, and between internode length and leaflet length, indicating pleiotropy. Correlations involving other character-combinations varied substantially among populations, and imply presence of linkage and/or coadaptation. Path coefficient analysis was used to partition the genotypic correlations between some of the characters into direct and indirect effects. Path coefficients revealed that foliage height had the highest positive direct effect on DMY, followed by winter survival and internode length. Leaflet length, which showed a positive, significant simple correlation with DMY, exhibited a negligible direct influence, counterbalanced nearly completely by the positive indirect effect on DMY via foliage height. Positive indirect effects on DMY via foliage height were also found for winter survival and internode length. The coastal populations from North and Middle Norway, and a southern highland population showed the largest expected responses to phenotypic selection for most of the characters. The results demonstrate that there is enough genetic variation in adapted local populations to develop new improved cultivars adapted to high-latitude environments that combine upright growth habit with sufficient winter-hardiness and persistency. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of single applications of nitrogen on white clover nitrogen fixation in autumn and winter dairy pastures in south‐west Victoria,Australia

Abstract

Effects of nitrogen (N) (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg N ha^?1) applied at five different times during autumn and early winter on the N fixation of Trifolium repens L. (white clover) in Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) / white clover pastures were examined (Experiment 1). Effects of applying different N fertilisers (e.g. urea and ammonium nitrate) at 45 kg N ha^?1 in autumn, with and without phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) on N fixation were also tested (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, percentage N derived from the atmosphere (percent Ndfa) by white clover varied between 87% and 91% in the period after (24 to 36 days) N application. Increasing rates of N and time of application did not influence percent Ndfa. The amount of N fixed by white clover ranged from 0.8 to 3.7 kg N ha^?1 in the period after N application. Increasing rates of applied N produced a significant (P<0.05) linear increase in the amount of N fixed. In Experiment 2, percent Ndfa and amount of N fixed (1.9 to 4.1 kg N ha^?1) were unaffected by different N fertilisers, with and without P, K and S, in the period after (37 days) fertiliser application. For both experiments, fertiliser N increased dry matter yield while having no effect on white clover composition. It is concluded that single applications of N during the autumn and early winter benefit pasture growth without adversely affecting white clover N fixation or clover composition. This finding, however, will require further investigation.