Track 4-1-2: Breeding Cultivated Forage Species for Biomass, Quality and Stress Tolerance
Description
Trifolium repens (white clover) is one of the most important forage legumes in temperate region of the world. Phylogenetically it is an allotetraploid between T. pallescens and T. occidentale (Williams et al., 2012). Stands of white clover, although a perennial, often decline significantly by drought stress (Van Den Bosch et al., 1993).
T. occidentale is a diploid (2n=2x=16) stoloniferous perennial clover that grows naturally in saline, dry habitats and as such may be a useful source of genes to improve the drought tolerance of white clover cultivars (Hussain and Williams, 2013). Although white clover has been successfully hybridised with various annual and perennial Trifolium species (Williams, 1987), the resulting F1 hybrids have not been effectively utilised as useful genetic material for the improvement of white clover cultivars. The objective of our current research was to evaluate F1 and BC1 hybrids between T. repen and T. occidentale for drought tolerance.
Included in
Interspecific Hybridisation between Trifolium repens and T. occidentale for the Improvement of Drought Tolerance in White Clover
Trifolium repens (white clover) is one of the most important forage legumes in temperate region of the world. Phylogenetically it is an allotetraploid between T. pallescens and T. occidentale (Williams et al., 2012). Stands of white clover, although a perennial, often decline significantly by drought stress (Van Den Bosch et al., 1993).
T. occidentale is a diploid (2n=2x=16) stoloniferous perennial clover that grows naturally in saline, dry habitats and as such may be a useful source of genes to improve the drought tolerance of white clover cultivars (Hussain and Williams, 2013). Although white clover has been successfully hybridised with various annual and perennial Trifolium species (Williams, 1987), the resulting F1 hybrids have not been effectively utilised as useful genetic material for the improvement of white clover cultivars. The objective of our current research was to evaluate F1 and BC1 hybrids between T. repen and T. occidentale for drought tolerance.
