SEED YIELD, SIZE AND INDETERMINACY IN DIVERSE ACCESSIONS OF LOTUS-CORNICULATUS L GROWN IN THE UK

Eighteen accessions of the forage legume Lotus corniculatus were grown as spaced plants. The period of mature seed production, number of see d pods, seed yield and seed size of these accessions were measured. Al l accessions produced mature seed over a period of at least 8 weeks. T he pattern of production varied greatly between accessions and include d unimodal, bimodal and irregular forms. A common date For peak of see d pod production could not be ascertained There was no indication that any variety or UK ruderal 'alien' exhibited a move contracted period of pad production that could be exploited in a plant breeding programm e. 100-seed weights of the different accessions varied two-fold (betwe en 116.2 mg and 239.7 mg); ecotypes were generally heavier than variet ies or 'alien' accessions. The Norwegian ecotype from Nigardelen was f ound to have heavier seed than any other accession, and as seedling vi gour is positively correlated with seed size in L. corniculatus, it ma y offer potential For improvement of seed size in commercial material by interaccessional crossing.