An overview of the role of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in pastoral agriculture

2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 734 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Bouton
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Bioenergy Feedstock ◽  
Continue Development ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Grazing Tolerance ◽  
History Of ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Pastoral agriculture is unique among the world’s agricultural production systems. Lucerne (also known as alfalfa), Medicago sativa L. subsp. sativa, has a long history of playing a very important role in pastoral agriculture. That role is expanding outside traditional hay and grazing production systems into sprouts for salads, nutritional supplements, and bioenergy feedstock. It is also the forage legume of choice for delivery of new traits via biotechnologies. The use of biotechnologies in lucerne improvement will cause re-examination of research methods and will require unique collaborations that are both interdisciplinary and even cross-institutional. The Consortium for Alfalfa Improvement (CAI) is discussed as a model for this type of collaboration. Breeding programs will continue development of cultivars with the proper fall (autumn) dormancy, a broad genetic base for pest resistance, increased local adaptation, persistence, and yield, while also adding new complex traits to these base traits. Increasing nutritional quality via down-regulation of lignin genes and increasing persistence via grazing tolerance, drought tolerance, and tolerance to acid, aluminium-toxic soils are discussed as examples of the potential impacts and challenges surrounding incorporation of complex traits. However, it is the potential for lucerne to become a major part of tropical or subtropical production systems or even an important adjunct to overcome deficiencies in the widely used perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) temperate systems that begs further attention.

scholarly journals Strategies to Increase Prediction Accuracy in Genomic Selection of Complex Traits in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 3372
Author(s):  
Cesar A. Medina ◽  
Harpreet Kaur ◽  
Ian Ray ◽  
Long-Xi Yu
Keyword(s):  
Salt Stress ◽  
Abiotic Stress ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Genomic Selection ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Prediction Accuracy ◽  
Breeding Value ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Agronomic traits such as biomass yield and abiotic stress tolerance are genetically complex and challenging to improve through conventional breeding approaches. Genomic selection (GS) is an alternative approach in which genome-wide markers are used to determine the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) of individuals in a population. In alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), previous results indicated that low to moderate prediction accuracy values (<70%) were obtained in complex traits, such as yield and abiotic stress resistance. There is a need to increase the prediction value in order to employ GS in breeding programs. In this paper we reviewed different statistic models and their applications in polyploid crops, such as alfalfa and potato. Specifically, we used empirical data affiliated with alfalfa yield under salt stress to investigate approaches that use DNA marker importance values derived from machine learning models, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of marker-trait association scores based on different GWASpoly models, in weighted GBLUP analyses. This approach increased prediction accuracies from 50% to more than 80% for alfalfa yield under salt stress. Finally, we expended the weighted GBLUP approach to potato and analyzed 13 phenotypic traits and obtained similar results. This is the first report on alfalfa to use variable importance and GWAS-assisted approaches to increase the prediction accuracy of GS, thus helping to select superior alfalfa lines based on their GEBVs.

Influence de la température d'endurcissement sur la tolérance au gel de la luzerne et sa teneur en sucres, amidon et proline

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 737-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annick Bertrand ◽  
Roger Paquin
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Frost Tolerance ◽  
Proline Content ◽  
Starch Degradation ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Total Sugar Content ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

The increased sugar and starch in crowns and roots during hardening is considered a limiting factor for the acquisition of cold tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). We wanted to determine the effect of a decrease in carbohydrate on cold tolerance. Alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L.) were hardened at 1 °C or −2 °C during the day and at 10 °C or 15 °C during the dark while control plants were kept continuously at 1 °C or −2 °C. Hardening alfalfa at 10 °C and 15 °C during darkness decreased the total sugar content while it increased at 1 °C and −2 °C. However, frost tolerance and growth of the plants were not changed by raising the night temperature to 10 and 15 °C. The sugar increase corresponded in general to a starch degradation, mainly in the crowns. In plants hardened at −2 °C the proline content was higher in the leaves and lower in crowns. The opposite was observed in plants hardened at 10 and 15 °C during darkness. However, during hardening at −2 °C, we observed the desiccation of leaves and an increase in the proline content. We discuss the role of sugars as promoting agents for the acquisition of frost tolerance. Key words: Alfalfa, frost tolerance, sugars, starch, proline, hardening

scholarly journals Role of Potassium in Carbon Dioxide Assimilation in Medicago sativa L

1979 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 878-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy R. Peoples ◽  
David W. Koch
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Assimilation ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

scholarly journals The rôle of the young lucerne plant in determining the infection of the root by the nodule-forming bacteria

1929 ◽  
Vol 104 (732) ◽  
pp. 481-492 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Culture Solution ◽  
Nodule Bacteria ◽  
True Leaf ◽  
Plant Culture ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
The Relationship

Observations have been made at Rothamsted over a period of about five years upon the development of nodules on young seedlings of lucerne (Medicago sativa, L.). Some thousands of seedlings have been examined in various experiments and it was found to be the rule that the first appearance of nodules coincided with that of the expansion of the first true leaf. When lucerne is sown under summer glasshouse conditions, in pots of soil or sand, the seedlings are up in from 3 to 5 days, and in 8 to 12 days the first true leak becomes visible. This is at first closed, but in 8 to 12 days from the date of sowing it opens out (fig. 1). The following experiment illustrates the relationship between the opening of the List leak and the appearance of nodules. Lucerne seed, inoculated with nodule bacteria was sown in 12 pots, each containing about 8 pounds of sand, and these were watered with a plant-culture solution free from nitrogen.* Five days after sowing the seedlings were up, and in another 4 the first true leak, still closed, could be seen on most of them. The appearance of nodules and the opening of the first true leaves is shown in fig. 2, where each point represents observations made upon 20 seedlings, 10 from each of duplicate pots. The general agreement in the time of appearance of nodules and in the opening of the first true leaves is evident.

scholarly journals The Role of Different Daily Irradiations on Shoot Growth and Root/Shoot Ratio in Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)

1991 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. PHILIPPOT ◽  
J. M. ALLIRAND ◽  
M. CHARTIER ◽  
G. GOSSE
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Shoot Ratio ◽  
Root Shoot Ratio ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Grazing tolerance of alfalfa (Medicago spp.) under continuous and rotational stocking systems in pure stands and in mixture with meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm. syn. B. biebersteinii Roem & Schult)

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Katepa-Mupondwa ◽  
A. Singh ◽  
S. R. Smith Jr. ◽  
W. P. McCaughey
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Grazing Tolerance ◽  
Bromus Riparius ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Meadow Bromegrass

The continuing development of adapted alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars that combine high yield, disease resistance, winterhardiness, and grazing tolerance is of great value to the beef cattle industry in western Canada. This study evaluated alternative management strategies and plant measurements for assessing the grazing tolerance of alfalfa cultivars over 3 yr. Seven hay-type, four pasture-type, and one dual-purpose (hay or graze) cultivars were established in pure stands and in mixture with meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm. syn.B. biebersteinii Roem & Schult). Stands were defoliated under continuous or rotational stocking with beef cattle (Bos taurus). Plants we reassessed for winterhardiness, percent alfalfa within row, percent alfalfa cover, basal area and species composition. Continuous stocking resulted in consistent and significant differences between cultivars, whether persistence was measured as percent alfalfa within row, percent cover and basal area, in both pure and mixed stands (P < 0.05). High correlations between measurement techniques (r = 0.74 to 0.99; P < 0.05) confirmed the value of alfalfa within row and alfalfa cover as time and labour efficient methods to evaluate grazing persistence. Competition between alfalfa and meadow bromegrass resulted in a significant confounding effect under rotational stocking (P < 0.05). Winter injury was identified as an important criteria to evaluate for grazing persistence. The most grazing-tolerant genotypes were selected for subsequent breeding efforts to combine winterhardiness, grazing tolerance, and high productivity. This research showed that grazing method, grass competition, and severe winter conditions strongly influence differential survival of alfalfa cultivars under grazing in western Canada. Key words: Alfalfa, grazing tolerance, grazing systems, Medicago sativa L., Medicago falcata L. Arcang, persistence

Phytotoxicity and genotoxicity as a new approach to assess heavy metals effect on Medicago sativa L.: Role of metallo-resistant rhizobacteria

2021 ◽  
pp. 101833
Author(s):  
Anas Raklami ◽  
Mohamed Oubane ◽  
Abdelilah Meddich ◽  
Mohamed Hafidi ◽  
Bernd Marschner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Studies on the nutritional role of selenium. I. The distribution of radioactive selenium in mice

1963 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 716 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Jones ◽  
KO Godwin
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Stomach Wall ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Cell Nuclei ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Young Mice

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in which the proteins were labelled with radioactive selenium was fed to mice. The distribution of 75Se among the various organs was studied. On the basis of 75Se activity per unit wet weight, the importance of the liver and kidney as metabolic sites is confirmed, and attention is directed to the pancreas, endocrines, and the stomach wall as additional sites where selenium is present in comparable concentrations. The relative importance of the above organs is supported by the results of autoradiography; in addition, this demonstrates the high concentration of 75Se in the cell nuclei, where selenium may play a fundamental role. Radioactive selenium from labelled lucerne was found in the milk of a lactating mouse within 4 hr of it being fed. Within 24 hr approximately 20% of the selenium absorbed by the dam had been transferred to the young mice through the milk.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document