Inter-specific cross improves forage value and saline tolerance in the genus Lotus

ESCARAY FJ; PAOLOCCI F; CARRASCO SORLI P; DEL VALLE S; PIECKENSTAIN FL; RUIZ OA

Valencia

Conferencia; COST Action FA0605, Plant Abiotic Stress, from signaling to crop improvement; 2010

INPASS COST Action FA0605

The forage value and tolerance to marginal edaphic conditions is well known in Lotus tenuis legume, but its Condensed Tannins (CT) levels should be improved, in the other hand, commercial L. corniculatus have adequate CT levels but less tolerance to edaphic stresses. In adequate concentration, CT, increase the forage value diminishing internal parasites, avoiding rumen bloat and increasing the “bypass protein”. With the aim to improve the forage value, we obtained a hybrid between diploid population of L. corniculatus collected in marginal soils of Spain and commercial L. tenuis populations. The lines obtained showed an adequate content of CT (6,2 mg CT/g MS) and analyses of the relative expression of nine genes of the biosynthetic pathway of CT permit their correlation with foliar CT content. In addition, hybrids plants had a better performance than L. tenuis under saline stress. Fresh and dry weights, Na+, K+, Cl- content, chlorophyll, anthocyanins, CT levels, activity of photosystem II and morphological data were also assessed. In resume, the hybrid obtained has a high agronomical potential and constitute a good material to analyze the biochemically and molecular regulation of CT biosynthetic pathway and abiotic tolerance traits in Lotus crops species.