0000000000398605
AUTHOR
Biruta Jansone
RESTORATION OF LATVIAN ALFALFA (Medicago sativa) GENETIC RESOURCES PERSPECTIVE FOR BREEDING
We have carried out restoring of some Latvian alfalfa genetic resources from seeds of accessions that did not germinate in soil at all. Two of them were repatriated from the N. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Industry (multiplied more than 40 years ago) and three from the Research Institute of Agriculture (Latvia) (multiplied 15-20 years ago). For germination of old seeds we used early elaborated in vitro culture conditions. Germination rate ranged 2-60%, depending from the genotype and seeds storage conditions. Plantlets with well developed roots and 2-3 leaves were planted in the substrate in small pots and grown in a greenhouse about a month, then replanted in the soil in field co…
Recovering Genetic Resources of Some Legume Species of Latvian Origin by Plant Tissue Culture
Accessions with no germinating seeds are a common problem in plant gene banks and research institutions. Our goal was to elaborate and apply an in vitro method of germination and multiplication of old aged seeds of red and alsike clover and alfalfa. Eighteen clover and five alfalfa accessions were used for germination in vitro. Most of the accessions had produced seeds more than 20 years ago and the seeds did not germinate in soil. Seed pre-treatment with different concentrations of potassium permanganate, as well as addition of phytohormones, AgNO3 and activated carbon to germinating media were tested. Plantlets for all germinated accessions were obtained, even in the case when seeds were …