This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

No description available.

One low salt tolerant alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivar and two germination salt tolerant alfalfa selections were compared for growth and N fixation at four salinity levels (0, -0.3, -0.6 and -1.2 Mpa). In the first experiment a Hoagland's solution at 5 ppm-N was used; in the second experiment the solution had a 1 ppm-N concentration and supplemental light was used. No significant differences were found among the cultivars. This provides additional support that germination salt tolerance is not necessarily related to salt tolerance for growth. Nitrogen fixed to the first harvest was 61, 48, 49, and 27% of the total shoot N for plants in the control, -0.3, -0.6, and -1.2 Mpa solutions, respectively. At the second harvest, N fixation percentages were 94, 89, 80, and 57% for the corresponding salinity levels which showed significant reduction in N fixation at -0.3 Mpa. The evaluation of N fixation was by 15N techniques.

The performance of an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) population has been improved by recurrent selection for germination salt tolerance. However, recurrent selection may lead to increased inbreeding. Since alfalfa is subject to severe inbreeding depression, accumulation of inbreeding during the selection process may negatively affect performance. This experiment was designed to determine the effects of inbreeding on germination performance in alfalfa under saline and non-saline conditions. The germination performance of seed having three different levels of inbreeding as examined. No adverse effects of inbreeding were observed in non-saline conditions. Consistent (but nonsignificant) declining trends were observed in germination percentage in saline conditions as the level of inbreeding increased. Proportionately larger declines were observed between generations in germination speed and early seedling vigor. These results suggest heterozygosity in alfalfa may be maintained simultaneously while recurrent selection for germination salt tolerance is conducted. Moreover, reducing inbreeding during recurrent selection for germination salt tolerance may be more successful if germination speed index or early seeding vigor are used for the measurement.

Nine cycles of recurrent selection for germination salt tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were compared with their parental cultivar, 'Mesa-Sirsa'. Test seeds were produced in the same season and locale. Cycle 9 and Mesa-Sirsa showed 90% and 2.5% germination, respectively, in a -1.7 MPa NaCl medium. Cycle 8 germinated more vigorously compared to Mesa-Sirsa in stressed and non-stressed environments. Selection also enhanced germination speed and radicle length. Fresh seed and one year old seed showed similar percent germination. Scarification decreased germination in a saline solution. Mesa-Sirsa and Cycle 8 displayed the same pattern of water uptake in a salt solution. Salinity decreased water uptake in Cycle 8 and Mesa-Sirsa compared to the control. Cycle 8 and Mesa-Sirsa contained 7% galactomannan and 3.2% stachyose. Galactomannan was not an important factor in seed salt tolerance. Seed protein content was stable throughout the cycles of selection. Selection for germination salt tolerance in alfalfa significantly affected the percentage of seed amino acids.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.