HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kephart, K. D. Articles by Hill, R. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kephart, K. D. Articles by Hill, R. R., Jr. Agricola Articles by Kephart, K. D. Articles by Hill, R. R.

Morphology of Alfalfa Divergently Selected for Herbage Lignin Concentration

Plant Science Dep., South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD 57007
USDA-ARS, 1565 Agronomy Hall, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011
USDA-ARS, U.S. Regional Pasture Res. Lab., University Park, PA 16802

^* Corresponding author.

Programs to improve alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) nutritive value have used selection criteria based on total herbage cell-wall composition. There is only limited information addressing the effect of total-herbage based phenotypic selection on changes in dry-matter partitioning of the plant and on the nutritive value of plant parts. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of divergent herbage selection for alfalfa cell-wall components on plant morphology. Two groups of germplasm were observed. Group 1 consisted of six syn-2 lines derived from two-parent combinations, which were randomly selected from ‘Saranac-AR’ for high (HL) or low (LL) herbage acid-detergent lignin concentration. Group 2 had HL and 13 LL lines that were full-sib lines produced on pairs of parents from the Group 1 synthetics. Group 1 was grown for two harvests in a greenhouse and one harvest in the field, and Group 2 was grown for two harvests in the field. Compared with HL lines, LL lines had a greater leaf-to-stem ratio, especially in the fraction above the sixth node from the stem base. For LL lines, this ratio in the upper plant fraction was 53, 26, and 18% greater than HL lines for Group I greenhouse, Group 1 field, and Group 2, respectively. When harvested at the same time, LL lines were less mature than HL lines, and, for Group 2, main stem length of LL lines was about 30 mm shorter than HL lines. Dry-matter yield of HL lines was 17, 28, and 28% greater than LL lines for Group 1 greenhouse, Group 1 field, and Group 2, respectively. Most of the differences between divergent types were related to changes above the sixth node. Thus, selection for improved nutritive value in total herbage of alfalfa may result in marked changes in plant morphology.

Received for publication August 24, 1988.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. G. Jung and J. F. S. Lamb Stem Morphological and Cell Wall Traits Associated with Divergent In Vitro Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility in Alfalfa Clones Crop Sci., September 8, 2006; 46(5): 2054 - 2061. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Claessens, R. Michaud, G. Belanger, and D. E. Mather Leaf and Stem Characteristics of Timothy Plants Divergently Selected for the Ratio of Lignin to Cellulose Crop Sci., October 27, 2005; 45(6): 2425 - 2429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. F. Pedersen, K. P. Vogel, and D. L. Funnell Impact of Reduced Lignin on Plant Fitness Crop Sci., March 28, 2005; 45(3): 812 - 819. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Diaby and M. D. Casler RAPD Marker Variation among Divergent Selections for Fiber Concentration in Smooth Bromegrass Crop Sci., January 1, 2005; 45(1): 27 - 35. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Sanderson, R. H. Skinner, M. van der Grinten, and J. Kujawski Eastern Bottlebrush Grass Yield, Persistence, and Nutritive Value in the Northeastern USA Crop Sci., November 1, 2004; 44(6): 2193 - 2198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Sanderson, R. H. Skinner, M. van der Grinten, and J. Kujawski Nutritive Value of Virginia Wildrye, a Cool-Season Grass Native to the Northeast USA Crop Sci., July 1, 2004; 44(4): 1385 - 1390. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.E.L. Fonseca, D.R. Viands, J.L. Hansen, and A.N. Pell Associations among Forage Quality Traits, Vigor, and Disease Resistance in Alfalfa Crop Sci., September 1, 1999; 39(5): 1271 - 1276. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M.D. Casler Structural Responses to Selection for Reduced Fiber Concentration in Smooth Bromegrass Crop Sci., September 1, 1999; 39(5): 1435 - 1438. [Abstract] [Full Text]