Preselection of germplasm of Macroptilium lathyroides (L.) Urb. with shade-tolerance.

Abstract

Studies of shade effects on native forage species support pre-breeding process and are useful to establish selection criteria in plant breeding programs for the agroforestry systems prevailing in the Argentine livestock production. In the present study, ecophysiological and agronomic traits were evaluated in accessions of Macroptilium lathyroides belonging to the germplasm bank “Ing. Agr. José M. Alonso” of the UNL, under both natural and artificial light conditions. The general response has been related to a shade-avoidance strategy, where plants showed longer stems and greater leaf area in detriment of root and leaf biomass. Even so, accessions without a significant stem and root biomass reduction under shading were identified. However, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate were affected on all accessions subject to shade, independently of the produced biomass relative to control.