Potential to increase yield in lucerne (Medicago sativa subsp. sativa) through introgression of Medicago sativa subsp. falcata into Australian adapted material
J. M. Mackie A D , P. M. Pepper B , K. F. Lowe C , J. M. Musial A and J. A. G. Irwin AA Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Plant Protection, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072 Australia.
B Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Yeerongpilly, Qld 4105, Australia.
C Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Mutdapilly Research Station, Peak Crossing, Qld 4306, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: julie.mackie@uq.edu.au
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56(12) 1365-1372 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR05085
Submitted: 15 March 2005 Accepted: 19 August 2005 Published: 15 December 2005
Abstract
The effect of interspecific heterosis in crosses between Medicago sativa subsp. sativa and M. sativa subsp. falcata was assessed. Three sativa and 3 falcata plants were crossed in a diallel design. Progeny dry matter yield and natural plant height were assessed in a replicated field experiment at Gatton, Queensland. Yield data were analysed using the method of residual maximum likelihood (REML) and Griffing’s model 1. There were significant differences between the reciprocal, general combining ability (GCA), and specific combining ability (SCA) effects. As expected, S1 populations were lower yielding than their respective intraspecific cross and falcata × falcata crosses were significantly lower yielding than sativa × sativa crosses. Some of the interspecific crosses indicated substantial SCA effects, yielding at least as well as the best sativa × sativa crosses. We have demonstrated the potential usefulness of unselected M. sativa subsp. falcata as a heterotic group in the improvement of yield in northern Australian adapted lucerne material, and discuss how it could be incorporated into future breeding to overcome the yield stagnation currently being experienced in Australian programs.
Additional keywords: alfalfa, plant breeding, winter-active.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Mr Tom Bowdler, Ms Nikki Casey, and Mr David Armour for providing technical assistance. Dr Tony Swain is thanked for advice and discussion on the data analysis and for developing the GenStat procedure. WISFAL seed was provided by Prof. Edwin Bingham, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Funding for this research was provided by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Plant Protection.
Baker KF
(1957) The UC system for producing healthy container grown plants. California Agriculture Experimental Station Manual 23, 73.
Bingham ET
(1980) Maximizing heterozygosity in autotetraploids. ‘Polyploidy: biological relevance’. (Ed. WH Lewis)
pp. 471–498. (Plenum Publishing Corporation: New York)
Bingham ET
(1993) Registration of WISFAL alfalfa (Medicago sativa subsp. falcata) tetraploid germplasm derived from diploids. Crop Science 33, 217–218.
Bingham ET
(2005) Medicago arborea project at University of Wisconsin, Madison. Vol 5, http://www.medicago-reports.org/
Bolaños-Aguilar ED,
Huyghe C,
Djukic D,
Julier B, Ecalle C
(2001) Genetic control of alfalfa seed yield and its components. Plant Breeding 120, 67–72.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brummer EC
(1999) Capturing heterosis in forage crop cultivar development. Crop Science 39, 943–954.
Brummer EC,
Shah MM, Luth D
(2000) Re-examining the relationship between fall dormancy and winter hardiness in alfalfa. Crop Science 40, 971–977.
Busbice TH
(1969) Inbreeding in synthetic varieties. Crop Science 9, 601–604.
Clements RJ,
Turner JW,
Irwin JAG,
Langdon PW, Bray RA
(1984) Breeding disease resistant, aphid resistant lucerne for subtropical Queensland. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 24, 178–188.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Crochemore M-L,
Huyghe C,
Ecalle C, Julier B
(1998) Structuration of alfalfa genetic diversity using agronomic and morphological characteristics. Relationship with RAPD markers. Agronomie 18, 79–94.
Daday H
(1965) General and specific combining ability for forage yield in lucerne (Medicago sativa L.). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 16, 293–299.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davis W, Greenblatt IM
(1967) Cytoplasmic male sterility in alfalfa. The Journal of Heredity 58, 301–305.
Forsthoefel NR,
Bohnert HJ, Smith SE
(1992) Discordant inheritance of mitochondrial and plastid DNA in diverse alfalfa genotypes. The Journal of Heredity 83, 342–345.
GenStat (2004).
Gramshaw D,
Lowe KF, Lloyd DL
(1993) Effect of cutting interval and winter dormancy on yield, persistence, nitrogen concentration and root reserves of irrigated lucerne stands in the Queensland subtropics. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 33, 847–854.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Griffing B
(1956) Concept of general and specific combining ability in relation to diallel crossing systems. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 9, 463–493.
Hill MJ
(1996) Potential adaptation zones for temperate pasture species as constrained by climate: a knowledge-based logical modelling approach. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 47, 1095–1117.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hill RR, Shenk JS, Barnes RF
(1988) Breeding for yield and quality. ‘Alfalfa and alfalfa improvement’. Agronomy monograph No. 29. (Eds AA Hanson, DK Barnes, RR Hill)
pp. 809–826. (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America: Madison, WI)
Irwin JAG,
Lloyd DL, Lowe KF
(2001) Lucerne biology and genetic improvement – an analysis of past activities and future goals in Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 699–712.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keys RN,
Smith SE, Mogensen HL
(1995) Variation in generative cell plastid nucleoids and male fertility in Medicago sativa. Sexual Plant Reproduction 8, 308–312.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kidwell KK,
Austin DF, Osborn TC
(1994) RFLP evaluation of nine Medicago accessions representing the original germplasm sources for North American alfalfa cultivars. Crop Science 34, 230–236.
Kidwell KK,
Hartweck LM,
Yandell BS,
Crump PM,
Brummer JE,
Moutray J, Osborn TC
(1999) Forage yields of alfalfa populations derived from parents selected on the basis of molecular marker diversity. Crop Science 39, 223–227.
Lesins, KA ,
and
Lesins, I (1979).
Michaud R, Lehman WF, Rumbaugh MD
(1988) World distribution and historical development. ‘Alfalfa and alfalfa improvement’. Agronomy monograph No. 29. (Eds AA Hanson, DK Barnes, RR Hill)
pp. 25–91. (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America: Madison, WI)
Musial JM,
Basford KE, Irwin JAG
(2002) Analysis of genetic diversity within Australian lucerne cultivars and implications for future genetic improvement. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 629–636.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Northcote, KH (1971).
Patterson HD, Thompson R
(1971) Recovery of inter-block information when block sizes are unequal. Biometrika 58, 545–554.
Pearson CJ,
Brown R,
Collins WJ,
Archer KA,
Wood MS,
Petersen C, Boothe B
(1997) An Australian temperate pastures database. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48, 453–465.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Riday H, Brummer EC
(2002a) Forage yield heterosis in alfalfa. Crop Science 42, 716–723.
Riday H, Brummer EC
(2002b) Heterosis of agronomic traits in alfalfa. Crop Science 42, 1081–1087.
Riday H, Brummer EC
(2004) Performance of intersubspecific alfalfa hybrids in sward versus space planted plots. Euphytica 138, 107–112.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Riday H, Brummer EC
(2005) Heterosis in a broad range of alfalfa germplasm. Crop Science 45, 8–17.
Riday H,
Brummer EC,
Campbell TA,
Luth D, Cazcarro PM
(2003) Comparisons of genetic and morphological distance with heterosis between Medicago sativa subsp. sativa and subsp. falcata. Euphytica 131, 37–45.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Segovia-Lerma A,
Cantrell RG,
Conway JM, Ray IM
(2003) AFLP-based assessment of genetic diversity among nine alfalfa germplasms using bulk DNA templates. Genome 46, 51–58.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
Segovia-Lerma A,
Murray LW,
Townsend MS, Ray IM
(2004) Population-based diallel analyses among nine historically recognized alfalfa germplasms. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 109, 1568–1575.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
UPOV
(2004) Guidelines for the conduct of tests for distinctness, uniformity and stability. International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, Lucerne TG/6/5(proj.2), Geneva.
Viands DR, Sun P, Barnes DK
(1988) Pollination control: Mechanical and sterility. ‘Alfalfa and alfalfa improvement’. Agronomy monograph No. 29. (Eds AA Hanson, DK Barnes, RR Hill)
pp. 931–960. (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America: Madison, WI)
Volenec JJ,
Cherney JH, Johnson KD
(1987) Yield components, plant morphology, and forage quality of alfalfa as influenced by plant population. Crop Science 27, 321–326.
Waldron LR
(1920) First generation crosses between 2 alfalfa species. Journal of the American Society of Agronomy 12, 133–143.
