Zahra Sadat Mousavi; Fatemeh Nasernakhaei
Abstract
IntroductionBird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., in Persian: Yonjeh pa’kalaghi), is a salinity-tolerant forage legume belonging to the Fabaceae family. This plant ...
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IntroductionBird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., in Persian: Yonjeh pa’kalaghi), is a salinity-tolerant forage legume belonging to the Fabaceae family. This plant exhibits a wide range of morphological variability and has been reported to have an extensive ecological distribution, contributing to its polymorphism. The highest genetic diversity of bird’s-foot trefoil is found in the Mediterranean region. However, there are currently no reports on the morphological variability of this plant from its natural habitats in Iran. This study was conducted in Khuzestan province to address this gap.Materials and MethodsThe morphological variability of this plant was the subject of our investigation in this study. Collection of totals of 126 genotypes belonging to 9 accessions (including Ahvaz, Sheyban, Mollasani, Hamidiyeh, Susangerd, Karun, Minoo Island, Hendijan, and Shavoor) was done from natural habitats in Khuzestan province from March 2023 to January 2024. The 14 qualitative traits and 4 quantitative traits according to the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) and literature reviews were selected, coded, and evaluated. The qualitative characteristics included growth habit, vegetative form, size of the three leaflets relative to each other, leaflets shape, leaflets indumentum, leaflets thickness, leaflets apex, stem firmness, cross-sectional shape of stem, stem color, stem indumentum, corolla color, calyx teeth shape, and calyx indumentum. The quantitative traits measured included the calyx teeth/calyx tube length, the central leaflet's length, width, and plant height. The accession grouping was done through cluster analysis with the Ward method and the Euclidean coefficient. The grouping was then confirmed using the discriminant function analysis with SPSS software. Principal components analysis was also performed with R software. Results and DiscussionObservations of vegetative form in the studied accessions showed that 88.10% of the genotypes were herbaceous and 11.90% were woody. The genotypes exhibited different growth habits: 65.87% decumbent, 22.22% erect or ascending, and 11.90% procumbent or prostrate. Qualitative traits showed that the Minoo Island accession differs from others based on vegetative form (woody) and growth habit (like procumbent or prostrate). Considerable variation in leaflet size (three leaflets per leaf, same or different sizes), leaflet apex, leaflet shape, and corolla color was observed within the accessions, demonstrating high diversity even on a single plant. However, the rest of the traits showed no diversity. ANOVA variance analysis showed that all three quantitative traits (central leaflet length, central leaflet width, and plant height) were significant at 5%. Also, Duncan's test identified homogeneous accessions well and showed which accessions were similar or different from each other in terms of the traits under study. Minoo Island’s unique woody vegetative form and procumbent or prostrate growth habit resulted in its classification as a distinct group in the cluster and principal components analysis. The accuracy of the grouping performed in cluster analysis was confirmed by discriminant function analysis. The results also revealed that some accessions were grouped, despite their geographical distance, which could indicate ecological conditions' impact on their morphology. Environmental influences can be removed using the same cultivation conditions when evaluating accessions.ConclusionThe existence of diversity causes plant genetic resources to adapt to different weather conditions. This can be effective in managing germplasm conservation of the Minoo Island accession.
