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Effect of Morphology of Propagules on Performance of Birdsfoot Trefoil Clones 1
Author(s) -
Ostazeski Stanley A.,
Henson Paul R.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1965.0011183x000500030018x
Subject(s) - trefoil , propagule , citation , biology , library science , botany , computer science , agronomy
'T* HE USE of stem cuttings in the breeding of birdsfoot •*• trefoil (Lotus comiculatus L.) to maintain and evaluate specific genotypes is a common practice. Little is known, however, of effects on clonal performance of morphology of the initial propagule, its physiological or morphological age, the condition of the donor plant, etc. In vegetatively propagated sansevieria, Joyner (5) observed that leaf cuttings skipped a juvenile rosette stage typical of seedlings and rhizome propagules. In some strains of peanuts, main stem cuttings behaved as normal plants, whereas cuttings taken from lateral branches, though forced to serve as main stems, continued their unilateral development (1, 4). Cumming and Steppler (2) observed differences in red clover root morphology (taproot vs. diffuse) dependent upon the size and source of cuttings. Also, leaflet, petiole, and certain stem cuttings formed roots but progressed no further for lack of axillary buds. In three alfalfa test populations, first yields of clonally propagated plants were lower than that of seedlings (3). These differences, however, tended to decrease with successive harvests. Thousands of vegetatively propagated plants of birdsfoot trefoil have been examined in an effort to find rootand crown-rot tolerant lines. In routine examinations differences have been noted in morphology as well as disease resistance. Cuttings of birdsfoot trefoil develop roots at the cut end of the stem, while new stem shoots arise from the node above this cut. Thus, the first node above the cut stem becomes the crown of the new plant. If, in making the cutting, the stem is cut immediately below the node, a lowcrowned plant results. Conversely, if the stem below the node is fairly long, then a high-crowned plant results. In addition to these morphological differences, the erratic behavior of propagules of some clones suggests that the physiological activity of high-crowned plants might be considerably different from that of low-crowned plants. This has been indicated within clones by discrepancies in dry