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A Comparative Study of Alfalfa and Medicago truncatula Stem Traits: Morphology, Chemical Composition, and Ruminal Digestibility

^a USDA-ARS Plant Science Res. Unit, Dep. of Plant Pathology, 495 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108
^b USDA-ARS Plant Science Res. Unit, Dep. Agronomy and Plant Genetics, 411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108. Current address for J.A. Schnurr: Cargill, Inc., 2540 E. Drake Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80525. Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the USDA, and does not imply its approval or the exclusion of other products and vendors that might also be suitable

View larger version (140K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 1. Morphology of 100-µm cross-sections taken from immature, elongating (a, c, and e) and mature, post-elongation (b, d, and f) stem internodes of alfalfa and Medicago truncatula. Thin sections were viewed by light microscopy. Panels a and b are from alfalfa clone 718, panels c and d are from M. truncatula inbred line A17, and panels e and f are from M. truncatula inbred line DZA315.16. epi, epidermis; col, collenchyma; chl, chlorenchyma; pf, phloem fibers; pi, pith; xf, xylem fibers; xv, xylem vessels. Bars represent 100 µm.

View larger version (25K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 2. Composition of the top, middle, and bottom thirds of stems averaged (±1 SE) across two alfalfa clones and four Medicago truncatula inbred lines. Crude protein (CP) and cell wall (CW) concentrations are expressed as a proportion of organic matter (OM). Klason lignin (KL), cellulose, and pectin concentrations are shown as a proportion of total cell wall. Differences among all stem segment maturities were significant (P < 0.05) for all components.

View larger version (28K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 3. Soluble carbohydrate concentrations (mean ± 1 SE) of top, middle, and bottom thirds of stems from alfalfa (Regen-SY27 and 718) and Medicago truncatula (A17, A20, DZA315.16, and R108) germplasms.

View larger version (35K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 4. In vitro digestibility of total cell wall polysaccharides (mean ± 1 SE) from stem top, middle, and bottom thirds of alfalfa (Regen-SY27 and 718) and Medicago truncatula (A17, A20, DZA315.16, and R108) germplasms.