Genetic variability in Seaton Park subterranean clover

Abstract

Single plants of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) were grown from seed of 13 commercial Seaton Park seed samples and of five pastures sown to Seaton Park at least 8 years previously. Most populations had several variants of Seaton Park, though the predominant genotype was that usually considered to be the Seaton Park strain - herein differentiated as Western Australian Seaton Park (W.A.S.Pk). The original Seaton Park - from the Royal Adelaide Golf Course in South Australia - differed slightly but clearly in several characters, including some seed isozyme patterns, from W.A.S.Pk. It was present in half of the populations, but at low frequencies (1-6% of the total). One genotype (strain S) comprised 20% or more of the populations from three commercial seed samples; it contained significant levels of the oestrogenic isoflavone formononetin. The origin of W.A.S.Pk remains unclear. The present commercial strain (cv. Seaton Park) is being re-built, based on W.A.S.Pk alone.