| To improve salinity stress tolerance in Iranian promising alfalfa ecotypes, including Shorkat, Gharghologh, Gharaghozloo, Rehnani, Roodasht Isfahan and Gavkhooni, a recurrent selection scheme was carried out at roodasht and kabootarabad field stations, Isfahan, Iran, during 2012-2017 growing seasons. Six Iranian promising alfalfa ecotypes were planted in the autumn of 2012 and irrigated with saline water of 6 to 15 dS.m-1 during spring and summer of the following year. The ecotypes were evaluated in late summer of the same year using phenotypic characteristics of the plants including; stem no.plant-1, plant height, leaf: shoots ratio, and reaction to pests and diseases, and desirable plants were marked and selected from each ecotype. Seed from selected plants of each ecotype were harvested and bulked. Next year, 13 entries including six selected bulk ecotypes, six Iranian promising ecotypes, and one foreign cultivar (Bulldog) were evaluated using randomized complete block design with four replications. Results showed that derivative ecotypes of Gharaghozloo and Rehnani with average forage production of 80.2 and 79.7 ton.ha-1 fresh forage yield, 19.4 and 19.4 ton.ha-1 dry forage yield and average plant height of 61.3 and 62.3 centimeter, respectively, were salinity tolerant ecotypes. The derivative ecotypes of Gharaghozloo and Rehnani had 19.3% and 19.7% protein content, respectively. These derivatives obtained of 9.5 and 5.5 winter dormancy scores, respectively. They only damaged 10.2% and 7% by weevil. Overall, the derivative ecotypes of Gharaghozloo and Rehnani were identified salt tolerant and are suitable for being grown in saline areas and used in alfalfa breeding programs for development of synthetic alfalfa cultivars. |
|
1. Ali, S., M. Tavakoli, K. Poustini, A. Pourbabai and H. Alizadeh. 2017. Evaluation of salinity tolerance of alfalfa ecotypes using tolerance indices. Iran. J. Field Crop Sci. 48(2): 579-589. (In Persian with English abstract).##AL-Khatib, M., T. McNeilly and J.C. Collins. 1993. The potential of selection and breeding for improved salt tolerance in Lucerne (Medicago sative L.) Euphytica. 65:43-51.##Ashraf, M. and T. McNeilly. 2004. Salinity tolerance in Brassica oilseeds. Critical Rev. Plant Sci. 23(2): 127-214.##Ashrafi, A., J. Razmjo and M. Zahedi. 2015. Investigation of salinity stress on biochemical properties of seedlings and its relation with salinity tolerance of alfalfa cultivars in field conditions. Pazhohesh and Sazandegi (Agron. J.), 109: 43-58. (In Persian with English abstract).##Delgado, I., D. Andueza and F. Munoz. 2003. Forage yield and persistence of lucerne cultivars in two harvest frequencies. In: J. Nedelnik and B. Cagas (Eds.), Biodiversity and genetic resources as the bases for future breeding. Proceedings of the XXV Eucarpia Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section and XV Eucarpia Medicago spp. Group Meeting, September 1-4, 2003, Brno, Czech Republic,. Czech J. Genet. Breed. 39 (Special Issue): 278-280.##Ghotbi, V., H. Dehghani, R. Choukan and M. Moeini. 2017. Determination of general and specific combining abilities for forage yield and agronomic traits in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) dialell crosses. Iran. J. Field Crop Sci. 48 2. (13) 637-646. (In Persian with English abstract).##Kertikova, D. and C. Scotti. 1999. Fall dormancy in lucerne varieties and its relation to performance. In: F. Veronesi, and D. Rosellini (Eds.), Lucerne and medics for the XXI century. Proceedings of the XIII Eucarpia Medicago spp. Group Meeting. September 13-16, 1999, Perugia, Italy. ##Koocheki, A. and M. Nasiri Mahalati. 1994. Feed value of some halophytic range plants of arid regions of Iran. In: S. Victore, and A. Alit (Eds.), Halophytes as a resource for livestock. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Printed in the Netherlands.##Lioveras, J., A. Lopez, J.A. Betbese, M. Baga and A. Lopez. 1998. Evaluacion de variedades de en los regadios del valle del Ebro: analisis de las differencias varietales. Pastos. XXVIII (1): 37-56.##Maria, S., V. Paul, M. Teodor, M. Elena and D. Alexandrina. 2007. New Romanian cultivars of alfalfa developed at Nardi Fundulea. Agricultural Research. Romania. No. 24. ##Monirifar H. and R. Mazlomi. 2014. Repeated screening for selection of salt tolerant alfalfa ecotypes. J. Crop Breed. 6 (13): 89-100. (In Persian with English abstract).##Nekoeianfar, Z., Sh. Lack and Gr. Abadouz. Assessment effect of cutting time and soil salinity on quality and quantity forage yield of five alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) varieties under Ahvaz conditions. Plant Prod. (Sci. J. Agric.) 40(3): 113-127. (In Persian with English abstract).##Noble, C. L., G. M. Halloran and D.W. West. 1984. Identification and selection for salt tolerance in lucerne (Medicago sative L.). Aust. J. Agric. Res. 35: 239-252.##Parida, A. K. and A.B. Das. 2005. Salt tolerance and salinity effects on plants: a review. Ecol. Environ. Safety. 60: 324-349.##Peel, M., B. Waldron, K. Jensen, N. Chatterton, H. Horton and L. Dudley. 2004. Screening for salinity tolerance in alfalfa: A repeatable method. Crop Sci. 44: 2049-2053.##Shushi Dezfuli, A., A. Paknejad and N. Zarifinia. 2017. Evaluation of salinity tolerance of some alfalfa ecotypes using physiological and biochemical traits. J. Crop Physiol. 9 (35): 105-120. (In Persian with English abstract).##Tabatabai, A., A. Shakeri and M. Aliniya. 2017. Effect of harvest time on forage yield and protein content of different alfalfa cultivars in Yazd region. J. Plant Ecophysiol. 29: 146-156. (In Persian with English abstract). ##Torabi, M. 2016. Physiological and biochemical responses of alfalfa to salt stress (Salt tolerance screening in alfalfa ecotypes). LAP (Lambert Academic Publishing). ##Zamanian, M. 2003. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative yield of alfalfa cultivars in different cuts. J. Agric. Sci. Natur. Resour. 10 (1): 73-82. (In Persian with English abstract). ##Yan, W. and N.A. Tinker. 2006. Biplot analysis of multi-environment trial data: principles and applications. Can. J. Plant Sci. 86(3): 623-645.##
|
