Crop Science Grow Your Career with CSSA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published in Crop Sci 15:211-214 (1975)
© 1975 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dunbier, M. W.
Right arrow Articles by Schrader, L. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Dunbier, M. W.
Right arrow Articles by Schrader, L. E.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Dunbier, M. W.
Right arrow Articles by Schrader, L. E.

Performance of Genetically Comparable Diploid and Tetraploid Alfalfa: Agronomic and Physiological Parameters1

M. W. Dunbier, D. L. Eskew, E. T. Bingham and L. E. Schrader2

Diploid and tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. sensu lato) populations were produced sexually utilizing numerically unreduced gametes and parthenogenetically developed haploids of 4x-2x crosses. The advantage of the procedure over colchicine doubling is that genetically comparable populations, rather than individuals, at different ploidy levels can be studied. Additionally, both ploidy levels were in the same cytoplasm. Populations were grown in field plots to determine dry matter (DM) production and in a space-planted nursery for analysis of the following characters; percentage total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), percentage total nitrogen (N), fresh weight/trifoliolate leaf, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (G6PDA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and water soluble protein concentration (WSP).

As expected, concentrations of DNA, WSP, and N were basically the same in diploids (D) and tetraploids (T). T/D ratio was 2.10 for DM yield, 2.05 for fresh wt/trifoliolate, 2.09 for DNA/trifoliolate, and 1.78 for G6PDA/trifoliolate, indicating these characters were strongly influenced by ploidy. G6PDA/trifoliolate was higher in tetraploids but significantly higher in only one D-T comparison, indicating that activity of this enzyme was influenced by factors in addition to ploidy. Phenotypic differences are thus demonstrated to be the result of a complex interaction between increasing gene dosage (polyploidy) and genetic regulation.

Key Words: Polyploidy • Breeding • Physiology • Medicago sativa L.

1 Research supported by the College of Agr. and Life Sci., U. of Wis., Madison, WI 53706 and the N. Z. Natl. Res. Adv. Court. in the form of a post graduate research fellowship to the senior author.

2 Formerly graduate research assistant (now with Crop Research Div., D.S.I.R., Private Bag, Christchurch, N. Z.); graduate research assistant; and associate professors, respectively, Agron. Dept., U. of Wis., Madison.

Received for publication July 26, 1974.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Agronomy Journal Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Journal of
Environmental Quality		 The Plant Genome
Copyright © 1975 by the Crop Science Society of America.