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Genetic and Soil Moisture Effects on the Branching-Root Trait in Alfalfa¹

The inheritance of the branching-root trait in alfalfa, Medicago saliva L., was studied in diallels at two field locations. Diallel progenies of seven clones were grown in spaced plantings at Champaign-Urbana and Brownstown, Illinois. Roots of 6-month-old alfalfa branched more at Brownstown than Champaign-Urbana. At Champaign-Urbana significant differences were found for general but not specific combining ability. At Brownstown, differences were significant for specific combining ability but not for general combining ability. General combining ability x location interaction also was significant. Reciprocal and selfing effects were not important at either location. Regression estimates of offspring on S₁ parent were 0.128 and 0.002 for the Brownstown and Champaign-Urbana locations, respectively.

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine whether moisture stress contributes to the genotype x environment interaction for the branching-root trait. Progeny of six crosses, whose parents represented a wide range in rooting habit, were grown in pots with soil moisture levels increased daily to – ) bar onto 50% of the – bar moisture level. Low moisture levels resulted in plant stress exhibited as a decrease in plant height and dry weight. Plants grown in the low moisture regime also had a lower incidence of branching roots. The genotype x moisture interaction was nonsignificant. Among moisture-stressed plants, height and weight were positively correlated with root branching (r = 0.81 and 0.60, respectively. Both are significant at the 0.01 level.). For unstressed plants, only plant weight was significantly correlated with the branching root habit (r = 0.49, significant at the 0.05 level.).

Key Words: Medicago saliva L. • Rooting habit • Combining ability • Genotype x environment interactions • Moisture stress

² Former graduate student, now assistant professor, Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Maryland, and professor of plant breeding and genetics, Univ. of Illinois, respectively.

Received for publication November 13, 1979.

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