Mt. Abberton et al., Nitrogen fixation in hybrids of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb), J AGRON CR, 185(4), 2000, pp. 241-247
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Agriculture/Agronomy
Journal title
JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ACKER UND PFLANZENBAU
Hybrids between white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Caucasian clover (or
Kura clover, Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb) are a potential route for the imp
rovement of drought tolerance and persistence in white clover. However, to
be agronomically viable they must show no significant reduction in their po
tential for nitrogen fixation relative to white clover. A comparative study
of growth rate and nitrogen fixation was carried out in flowing solution c
ulture without a supply of mineral nitrogen to the plants. The two parental
species and two generations of backcross hybrids, with white clover as the
recurrent parent, were assessed. The growth rate and N content of T. ambig
uum were significantly lower than those of the other lines. However, dry ma
tter production, nodule biomass per plant and rates of fixation were simila
r in second-generation backcross plants and white clover. The results sugge
st that the agronomic potential of this novel germplasm is not compromised
by limitations with respect to nitrogen fixation.