Breeding of an early-flowering and drought-tolerant Lotus corniculatus L. variety for the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia
D. Real A B C J , G. A. Sandral B C D , M. Rebuffo E , S. J. Hughes F , W. M. Kelman G , J. M. Mieres E , K. Dods H and J. Crossa IA Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
B Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
D NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, PMB, Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2605, Australia.
E National Institute of Agricultural Research, INIA La Estanzuela, Ruta 50 km 11, Colonia, Uruguay.
F SARDI Genetic Resource Centre, LG02, Main Waite Building, Waite Campus, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
G CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
H Chem Centre, Food and Agriculture Laboratory, Building 500 Manning Road, Bentley, WA 6004, Australia.
I Biometrics and Statistics Unit, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Apartado Postal 6-641, Mexico DF, Mexico.
J Corresponding author. Email: daniel.real@agric.wa.gov.au
Crop and Pasture Science 63(9) 848-857 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP12173
Submitted: 23 April 2012 Accepted: 20 July 2012 Published: 10 December 2012
Abstract
In the high-rainfall zone of Australia (HRZ, >600 mm), most pasture systems are dominated by perennial grasses with low levels of inter-dispersed legume. Numerous authors have shown that a legume content of 20–50% is required to maximise livestock production. Consequently, the legume content of these systems needs to be increased if livestock production is to be improved. Perennial legume options such as lucerne (Medicago sativa) and white clover (Trifolium repens) are limited in their application in this zone due to the sensitivity of lucerne to acid soils (pH(CaCl2) <4.8) and waterlogging and the inability of white clover to survive most of the annual summer droughts. To address this problem, a breeding program was undertaken to develop varieties of Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil) suitable for the HRZ of southern Australia. In the first cycle, 365 populations were screened in nurseries to select the best 62 plants from the best populations at Yalanbee and Medina in Western Australia. These selections were then grown as half-sib families in spaced-plant nurseries at Waroona and Yalanbee; in the second cycle, 61 individuals, selected from the the two sites, were hand-crossed to produce 3160 plants from 202 pair-crosses. These were gown in a spaced-plant nursery at the University of Western Australia Field Station in Shenton Park. In the third cycle, three polycross populations (YF, T, and F) were produced from selections within the 3160 second-cycle plants, and two additional plants which survived for 4 years on a non-wetting sand at Yalanbee, including a significant drought year in 2006. These varieties are expected to extend the adaptation of L. corniculatus to drier areas and/or lower latitudes.
Additional keywords: selection index, ESIM, plant model.
References
Altier NA, Ehlke NJ, Rebuffo M (2000) Divergent selection for resistance to fusarium root rot in birdsfoot trefoil. Crop Science 40, 670–675.| Divergent selection for resistance to fusarium root rot in birdsfoot trefoil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ayres JF, Blumenthal MJ, Lane LA, O’Connor JW (2006a) Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and greater lotus (Lotus uliginosus) in perennial pastures in eastern Australia. 2. Adaptation and applications of lotus-based pasture. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 521–534.
| Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and greater lotus (Lotus uliginosus) in perennial pastures in eastern Australia. 2. Adaptation and applications of lotus-based pasture.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ayres JF, Blumenthal MJ, O’Connor JW, Lane LA, Nicol HI (2006b) Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and greater lotus (Lotus uliginosus) in perennial pastures in eastern Australia. 1. Effects of grazing management on persistence. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 503–519.
| Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and greater lotus (Lotus uliginosus) in perennial pastures in eastern Australia. 1. Effects of grazing management on persistence.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ayres JF Kelman WM Lane LA McCorkell BE 2007
Ayres JF, Kelman WM, Wiedemann SG, Lane LA, McCorkell BE (2008) Developing birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) varieties for permanent pasture applications in low latitude regions of eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 488–498.
| Developing birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) varieties for permanent pasture applications in low latitude regions of eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bailey P, Frensham A, Hincks A, Newton M (1994) Competition for herbage by Phaulacridium vittatum (Sjostedt) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and sheep during summer drought. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 33, 175–179.
| Competition for herbage by Phaulacridium vittatum (Sjostedt) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and sheep during summer drought.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Baker C, Baker M (2008) Day length for various latitudes. www.orchidculture.com/COD/daylength.html#35N
Blumenthal MJ, McGraw RL (1999) Lotus adaptation, use and management. In ‘Trefoil: the science and technology of Lotus’. (Ed. PR Beuselinck) pp. 97–119. (American Society of Agronomy, Inc., and Crop Science Society of America, Inc.: Madison, WI)
Ceron-Rojas JJ, Crossa J, Sahagun-Castellanos J, Castillo-Gonzalez F, Santacruz-Varela A (2006) A selection index method based on eigenanalysis. Crop Science 46, 1711–1721.
| A selection index method based on eigenanalysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Charlton JFL, Wilson ERL, Ross MD (1978) Plant introduction trials. Performance of Lotus corniculatus introductions as spaced plants in Manawatu. New Zealand Journal of Experimental Agriculture 6, 201–206.
| Plant introduction trials. Performance of Lotus corniculatus introductions as spaced plants in Manawatu.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Costa e Silva J, Dutkowski GW, Gilmour AR (2001) Analysis of early tree height in forest genetic trials is enhanced by including a spatially correlated residual. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 31, 1887–1893.
| Analysis of early tree height in forest genetic trials is enhanced by including a spatially correlated residual.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dutkowski GW, Costa e Silva J, Gilmour AR, Lopez GA (2002) Spatial analysis methods for forest genetic trials. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 32, 2201–2214.
| Spatial analysis methods for forest genetic trials.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dutkowski GW, Costa e Silva J, Gilmour AR, Wellendorf H, Aguiar A (2006) Spatial analysis enhances modelling of a wide variety of traits in forest genetic trials. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36, 1851–1870.
| Spatial analysis enhances modelling of a wide variety of traits in forest genetic trials.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Liener IE (1980) ‘Toxic constituents of plant foodstuffs.’ Vol. 5. (Ed. RD Montgomery) pp. 143–157. (Academic Press: New York)
Makkar HPS, Blummel M, Borowy NK, Becker K (1993) Gravimetric determination of tannins and their correlations with chemical and protein precipitation methods. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 61, 161–165.
| Gravimetric determination of tannins and their correlations with chemical and protein precipitation methods.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK3sXksVCms7o%3D&md5=4e85d1476612fed7f0f21557077b5b87CAS |
McKee GW (1963) Influence of daylength on flowering and plant distribution in birdsfoot trefoil. Crop Science 3, 205–208.
| Influence of daylength on flowering and plant distribution in birdsfoot trefoil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Real D, Dalla Rizza M, Quesenberry KH, Echenique M (2004) Reproductive and molecular evidence for allogamy in Lotononis bainesii Baker. Crop Science 44, 394–400.
| Reproductive and molecular evidence for allogamy in Lotononis bainesii Baker.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXislKlur8%3D&md5=3c3f3ae76ab306248f0b133b9c8408d7CAS |
Real D, Li GD, Clark S, Albertsen TO, Hayes RC, Denton MD, D’Antuono MF, Dear BS (2011) Evaluation of perennial forage legumes and herbs in six Mediterranean environments. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research 71, 357–369.
| Evaluation of perennial forage legumes and herbs in six Mediterranean environments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Real D, Sandral GA (2010) Lotus PBR. Plant Varieties Journal 23, 135–150.
Real D, Verbyla AP (2010) Maximizing genetic gains using a “plant” model in the Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata and var. crassiuscula) breeding program in Australia. In ‘Options Méditerranéennes. Alicante, Spain’. Vol. 92. (Eds C Porqueddu, S Ríos Ruiz) pp. 87–96. (CIHEAM: Paris)
Real D, Warden J, Nelson M, Sandral GA, Turner N, Acuna T, Johnson R (Eds) (2006) ‘Preliminary studies of inheritance of autogamy in Lotus corniculatus L. In ‘Groundbreaking stuff. Proceedings of the 13th Australian Agronomy Conference’. Perth, Western Australia. (Australian Society of Agronomy/The Regional Institute Ltd: Gosford, NSW)
Rebuffo M, Ruiz OA (Eds) (2004) Plant breeding: Lotus corniculatus and Lotus uliginosus. In ‘Taller Lotus y sus simbiontes’. Chascomus, Argentina, 9–10 September. P.21. (IIB-Intech: Chascomus)
Scott D, Charlton JFL (1983) Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) as a potential dryland herbage legume in New Zealand. Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association 44, 98–105.
Steiner JJ (2002) Birdsfoot trefoil flowering response to photoperiod length. Crop Science 42, 1709–1718.
| Birdsfoot trefoil flowering response to photoperiod length.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
