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Evolution over 16 years in a bulk-hybrid population of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) at two contrasting sites in south-western Australia

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Abstract

Evolution was measured over 16 years in a self-regenerating, bulk-hybrid subterranean clover population, consisting of F 2 seed from 253 crosses, sown at Nabawa and Mt Barker, short and long growing season sites, respectively, in south-western Australia. Seed bank samples harvested annually were grown in a common garden. Experiment 1 measured flowering time in plants from each year, while Experiment 2 measured 26 variables in the populations 3 and 16 years after sowing, in comparison with the ancestral population. Changes in population means were observed in 20 characters and variability declined in 11 characters at one or both sites, with much of this occurring within the first three years. Natural selection at Nabawa favoured early flowering of long duration, thick peduncles, high harvest index and high hardseededness. At Mt Barker it favoured late flowering of short duration, large leaves and long, thick petioles at flowering, thick stems with long internodes, long, thin peduncles with a high burial angle, large plants at maturity, low hardseededness and high biochanin A and total isoflavone contents. High seed production capacity, with high seed weight and seeds per burr, was important at both sites. The use of bulk-hybrid populations is demonstrated as a low-input means of breeding and selecting well-adapted subterranean clovers.

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Notes

  1. We have chosen to follow the Katznelson and Morley (1965) subdivision of T. subterraneum into three subspecies, rather than the Zohary and Heller (1984) subdivision into eight varieties. Other authors, including Cocks (1992), Nichols et al. (1996), Piano et al. (1996) and Pecetti and Piano (2002), have also used this convention.

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Acknowledgments

Drs. Bill Collins, John Gladstones and the late Reg Rossiter contributed to the planning and conduct of the bulk-hybrid sites. Drs. Nicholas Galwey and Sarita Bennett provided statistical advice and Dr. Bill Bowden helped develop the soil moisture balance model. The assistance of Kevin Foster and Peter Skinner in collecting and maintaining seed samples is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are given to Dr. Craig Macfarlane, Les Cranfield, Michael Blair, John Titterington and Duncan Wood for their technical help and to the staff of Mt Barker and Chapman Research Stations for maintaining the bulk-hybrid sites. Thanks also to Dr. Kioumars Ghamkar and an anonymous referee for helpful comments on the manuscript. The senior author was the recipient of an International Wool Secretariat Postgraduate Scholarship at the University of Western Australia.

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Author notes

  1. P. S. Cocks

    Present address: , 143 Minsterly Road, Denmark, WA, 6333, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Locked Bag 4, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, WA, 6983, Australia

    P. G. H. Nichols

  2. School of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    P. G. H. Nichols & P. S. Cocks

  3. Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    P. G. H. Nichols, P. S. Cocks & C. M. Francis

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  1. P. G. H. Nichols
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Correspondence to P. G. H. Nichols.

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Nichols, P.G.H., Cocks, P.S. & Francis, C.M. Evolution over 16 years in a bulk-hybrid population of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) at two contrasting sites in south-western Australia. Euphytica 169, 31–48 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-009-9906-7

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