RHIZOMATOUS LOTUS-CORNICULATUS - IV - INHERITANCE OF RHIZOMES

Rhizome production has been transferred from wild germplasm of Lotus c orniculatus L. (broadleafed birdsfoot trefoil) into domesticated culti vars and autogamous germplasm. The objective of this study was to dete rmine the inheritance of rhizomes in L. corniculatus. Crosses were mad e between AG-S4, an autogamous, nonrhizomatous germplasm and two rhizo matous accessions from Morocco, G31276 and G31317, Two autogamous prog eny from each cross (verified as F-1 hybrids by morphological, meiotic , and RAPD markers) produced F-2 seed and were reciprocally backcrosse d (BC), After 40 wk growth in the greenhouse, Fz and PC progeny were s cored for rhizome production. Plants failing to express rhizomes in th e greenhouse were transplanted to the field at Columbia, MO, and reeva luated for presence or absence of rhizomes at the end of the growing s eason. Segregation ratios for rhizome expression were tested for goodn ess-of-fit by the Chi square (chi(2)) test, The ratios of rhizome prod uction in F-2 and BCs to AG-SI fit 3:1 and 1:1 rhizomatous:nonrhizomat ous ratios, indicating that rhizome presence in L. corniculatus germpl asm G31276 and G31317 is controlled by a single dominant gene. The gen e symbol R is proposed for rhizome expression.