Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Improved Drought Stress Tolerance Of White Clover Through Hybridisation With Trifolium Uniflorum L., Shirley N. Nichols, Rainer W. Hofmann, Isabelle M. Verry

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of hybridisation with Trifolium uniflorum L. on drought resistance of Trifolium repens L. (white clover). Shoot dry weight of backcross 1 (BC1) hybrids was reduced less by water stress than for backcross 2 (BC2) hybrids and white clover, as were key morphological traits such as leaf area. Under water stress, important differences for the BC1 generation compared to white clover also included lower senescence, higher stolon density, increased root dry weight, and a higher maximum nodal root diameter. Drought decreased the net photosynthetic rate by up to 48% in BC2 …