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Abstract
Alfalfa adapts well to various climatic conditions, however, is sensitive to acidic soils. The aim of this study was to estimate the agro-biological traits in the acidic soil with different toxicity of mobile Al concentrations. The field experiment was carried out at the Vėžaičiai Branch of Institute of Agriculture of LAMMC. The crops of alfalfa genotypes (19 cultivars and 11 populations) were established on a Balthygleyic Dystric Retisol in 2018 and 2020. The agro-biological traits were evaluated in the seasons of 2019–2020 and 2021–2022. The results showed that the crops of alfalfa genotypes had the best agro-biological traits in the least toxic concentration of mobile Al (0.00–25.26 mg kg−1). In the soil with 26.79–50.25 mg kg−1 mobile Al, alfalfa genotypes differently varied by all agro-biological traits, these genotypes could be used to select the most specific genotypes with individual traits resistant to acidic soil. The soil with 52.14–74.08 mg kg−1 mobile Al can be used to select genotypes from single plants that survive successfully after wintering. In soil with 76.86–97.00 mg kg−1 mobile Al, the crops of genotypes died very quickly, due to very low resistance to acidic soil with mobile Al concentration.
IMPACT STATEMENT
Acidic soil accounts for about 40% of arable land and 70.0% of nonagricultural soils of the world's cultivated land, and aluminium toxicity is the main factor affecting crop growth and yield improvement in acidic soil. Alfalfa, the most important leguminous forage, plays an important role in livestock production, but it is very sensitive to acid-aluminum stress. However, direct selection of alfalfa genotypes for resistance to mobile Al during several selection cycles under natural acidic soil conditions with different concentrations of mobile Al is more effective because it is possible to select genotypes that produce higher or stabile yields and are more adapted to the local climate conditions. The study showed that the genotypes of alfalfa were the most productive under the lowest concentrations of mobile Al (0.00–25.26 mg kg−1). In 26.79–50.25 mg kg−1 mobile Al, the crops of the genotypes differently varied by individual plants diversity in agro-biological traits.
Acknowledgments
The paper presents research findings obtained through the long-term research programme ‘Genetics, Biotechnology and breeding for plant biodiversity and innovative technologies’ implemented by the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry.
Author contributions
Conceptualization, R.S. and A.L.; methodology, R.S, A.L.; software, A.L.; validation, R.S., A.L., V.B.; formal analysis, A.L., R.S.; investigation, R.S., A.L.; data curation, A.L., R.S., V.K.; writing–original draft preparation, A.L., R.S., V.B.; writing–review and editing, A.L. R.S., V.K.; visualization, A.L, R.S.; supervision, R.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Aurelija Liatukienė
Dr. Aurelija Liatukienė main areas of interest are alfalfa breeding and investigation of the genetic resources ex situ and in situ. Investigations of alfalfa biotic and abiotic resistance make up considerable part of breeding work.
Regina Skuodienė
Dr. Regina Skuodienė is a chief researcher at Vėžaičiai Branch of LAMMC. Her research interests include biodiversity, natural grassland, productivity and quality of grassland ecosystem, and weed problems in different cropping systems.
Vilma Kemešytė
Dr. Vilma Kemešytė main areas of interest are breeding and investigation of the genetic resources of forage and turf grasses, cultivar plasticity/adaptability. She also investigates the benefits of combining forage grasses with legume such as clover and alfalfa.
Vasily Buhaiov
Vasily Buhaiov is a head of the Department for Feed, Grain and Technical Crops Breeding. The study interests are perennial leguminous and cereal grasses collections and creation of varieties with increased adaptive potential for different soil and climatic conditions of Ukraine, in particular resistance of plants to high acidic soils.