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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117232
Title: REGISTRATION OF RG-BFT PHOTOPERIOD INSENSITIVE AND RAPID-FLOWERING AUTOGAMOUS BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL GENETIC STOCK

Author
item Steiner, Jeffrey
item Beuselinck, Paul

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2000
Publication Date: 2/28/2001
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, in cooperation with the Oregon, Idaho, and Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations announces the release of RG-BFT birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) genetic stock. The merits of RG-BFT are its ability to be used in inheritance studies of birdsfoot trefoil traits using Mendelian instead of population genetics because of its autogamous nature, and to obtain a greater number of reproductive cycles in the same amount of time than with typical flowering birdsfoot trefoil genotypes. RG-BFT leaves are of similar shape to those of AG-S4, has 2-3 flowers per umbel, and exhibits no inbreeding depression. RG-BFT can flower under conditions of 10 hrs of light per day. There are no other known genetic sources of birdsfoot trefoil that flower under these conditions.

Technical Abstract: RG-BFT rapid reproductive regenerating and photoperiod insensitive autogamous birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) genetic stock was developed from a single rapid-flowering clone resulting from irradiated seeds AG-S4 autogamous birdsfoot trefoil. RG-BFT flowers after receiving approximately 1000 accumulated heat units when grown under 10 hr light period with a light intensity averaging 410 mol m-2 s-1. There are no other known genetic sources of birdsfoot trefoil that flower under these conditions. Because RG-BFT is photoperiod insensitive, it is also suitable for basic research involving flowering response. All plants of RG-BFT are autogamous and do not require hand manipulations to produce seeds. RG-BFT crosses readily and bi-directionally with other birdsfoot trefoil genotypes, although when used as a female parent it must be emasculated, and has a lower successful pod set percentage than when used as a male parent.