Journal article

Publication year: 1994

Pages: 17-21

Journal: Angewandte Botanik

Volume number: 68

Issue number: 1-2

ISSN: 0066-1759

Publisher: Vereinigung für Angewandte Botanik

Abstract: 

Autochthonous annual Medicago spp. were collected on non alkaline soils and evaluated for potential agricultural use in Morocco. 411 ecotypes were collected at 108 sites in spring 1988 before plants mature. Of the nine Medicago species collected, M. polymorpha and M. tornata were the most frequent. The distribution of Medicago ecotypes in relation to quantitative descriptions of the edaphic and climatic environment was studied. Due to the available number of ecotypes only M. aculeata, M. murex, M. polymorpha, M. tornata and M. truncatula were included in the statistical analysis.

Nodulated M. polymorpha and M. truncatula ecotypes were found at sites with pH value as acid as 4.0 and 4.1 resp. In a cross-tabulation dependance of species occurrence and annual rainfall resp. altitude of collection sites is shown. A discriminant function analysis emphasizes that altitude is the most important variable while pH is the least important among seven environmental factors considered for species occurrence. In a field trial comparing 112 ecotypes with nine introduced cultivars at two contrasting sites 30 ecotypes with promising agronomic characteristics were identified.

Harvard Citation style: CREMERBACH, M. and BACH, M. (1994) ANNUAL MEDICAGO SPECIES ON NONALKALINE SOILS IN MOROCCO, Journal of applied botany = Angewandte Botanik, 68(1-2), pp. 17-21

APA Citation style: CREMERBACH, M., & BACH, M. (1994). ANNUAL MEDICAGO SPECIES ON NONALKALINE SOILS IN MOROCCO. Journal of applied botany = Angewandte Botanik. 68(1-2), 17-21.