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Inheritance of Red Endosperm in Alfalfa and Its Relationship to Color, Size, and Viability of Seed¹

Most alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seed is some shade of yellow. In 1981, a plant (PE no. 7) with red seed was observed in a ‘Peruvian’ germplasm source. Our objectives were to: (i) determine the location of the color pigments in tissue layers and organs of alfalfa seeds; (ii) determine the relationship between red seed color, seed size, and seed abortion; and (iii) determine the inheritance of the red seed color trait. Seeds were dissected to determine which tissue layers and organs were contributing to seed color. Selfed seed (S₁) was produced from 40 F₁ plants (PE no. 7 x ‘African’). Reciprocal backcrosses (BC₁) were made between the Ft plants and the PE no. 7 parent. The BC₁ seed was planted and the plants selfed (S₁BC₁). The BC₁ plants also were cross-pollinated with plants from four unrelated germplasm sources. Care was taken to recover all aborted (shriveled) seeds from all pollinations. Seed dissections indicated that the red pigments from PE no. 7 were associated with the endosperm. Red seed color was associated with decreased seed weight, and increased percentage aborted (shriveled) seeds. Genetic studies indicated that the red seed trait was controlled by one recessive gene with tetrasomic inheritance that controlled red color in the endosperm. A second gene produced an olive-yellow seed coat color that could mask the expression of the gene that controlled red endosperm color. The endosperm controlled, red seed color trait appeared to be associated with lethal effects that caused seed abortion.

Key Words: Medicago sativa L. • Lethal effects • Maternal effects • Seed color pigments

² Formerly graduate research assistant, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota (presently, graduate research assistant, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801); and research geneticist USDA-ARS in Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.

Received for publication March 10, 1986.