Publication Date
1993
Description
An introduction and evaluation programme is described that thus far includes 53 accessions of the naturalised annual medic Medicago polymorplia L. collected along a 1000 km N-S gradient in central. Chile and subsequently grown together in a common environment· selection trial together with 5 accessions received from International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (!CARDA). Major selection criteria include: precocious phenology, spineless pods and hardseededness, and tolerance to acid soils. Onset of flowering was 82-127 day_s, later flowering being closely correlated with higher latitudes. Soil pH was 5.3-7 .5 in collection sites, and phosphorus levels were > 10 ppm in 90% of the sites. There was also a correlation between flowering precocity and spineless pods. All accessions showed 100% hard seededness immediately after seed set, but the following autumn, seed hardness varied considerably. The phenological and ecophysiological ranges of adaptation exhibited in these accessions suggests that ecological adaptation has occurred in this naturalized species and that an important genetic base exists from which to select cultivars for areas throughout the Mediterranean climate region.
Citation
Ovalle, C; Avendano, J; Del Pozo, A; and Crespo, D, "Germplasm Collection, Evaluation and Selection of Naturalized Medicago Polymorpha in the Mediterranean Zone of Chile" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 9.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session9/9
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Germplasm Collection, Evaluation and Selection of Naturalized Medicago Polymorpha in the Mediterranean Zone of Chile
An introduction and evaluation programme is described that thus far includes 53 accessions of the naturalised annual medic Medicago polymorplia L. collected along a 1000 km N-S gradient in central. Chile and subsequently grown together in a common environment· selection trial together with 5 accessions received from International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (!CARDA). Major selection criteria include: precocious phenology, spineless pods and hardseededness, and tolerance to acid soils. Onset of flowering was 82-127 day_s, later flowering being closely correlated with higher latitudes. Soil pH was 5.3-7 .5 in collection sites, and phosphorus levels were > 10 ppm in 90% of the sites. There was also a correlation between flowering precocity and spineless pods. All accessions showed 100% hard seededness immediately after seed set, but the following autumn, seed hardness varied considerably. The phenological and ecophysiological ranges of adaptation exhibited in these accessions suggests that ecological adaptation has occurred in this naturalized species and that an important genetic base exists from which to select cultivars for areas throughout the Mediterranean climate region.
