New Salt Tolerant Cultivar: "Zhongmu No.l" Alfalfa
1Yang Oingchuan 2Sun Yan 3Geng Huazhu 1,3(Institute of Animal Science, CAAS, Beijing,100094) 2(Beijing Agricultural College, Agronomy Department, Beijing, 102206)
The new salt tolerant cultivar of alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L. cv. "Zhongmu No.l") was registered by Chinese Herbage Cultivar Registration Board in 1997. It was bred by 4 generation mass selection in saline land with 0.3-0.5% NaCl during 1988-1994, Involving 4 parents: Baoding(Medicago sativa L. cv. Baoding), Nanpi(Medicago sativa L. cv. Nanpi), Rs(Medicago sativa L. cv. Rs) and Bilu(Medicago sativa L. cv. Bilu).

Description of zhongmu No.l: Plants erect, 50-lOOcm high, distinct main root, more lateral roots, leaf color is light green, flower color is from purple to light purple, florescences recamous, seedpods spiral 2-3 circles, seed kidneylike and yellow, Thousand seed weight 1.82-1.9g. growing luxuriantly, good salt tolerant in seedling period. It can be cut 3-4 times per year at huanghuai hai plain and Bohai Bay in China.

The cultivars comparative test and production test were carried out at Zhongjie friendly farm in Hebei province, Dezhou farm in Shandong province, Wudi county in Shandong provine and Lanzhou city in Gansu provine during 1995-1997. At Dezhou test location, The results show (see tablel): Zhongmu No.1 was sown on September 7,1994 in 0.25-0.83% NaCl saline land. The total yield was 5137.5kg/ha in 1995(Cut two times), the total yield and mean plant height exceed Baoding by 13.4% and 8.7 respectively in 1995. The total yield was 5424kg/ha in 1996(cut two times), the total yield and mean plant height exceed Baoding by 11.1% and 5.7% respectively.The total yield was 8602.5kg/ha in 1997(Cut three times), the total yield and mean plant height exceed Baoding by 13% and 4.6% respectively in 1997. At wudi location, It was sown in 0.48% NaCl saline field in august 1995, The total yield was 4455kg/ha(Cut two times), exceeds Baoding, Bilu,Longdong by 35.5%,35.7%,76.8% respectively in 1997. At Lanzhou location, It was sown in 0.21-0.74% Na2SO4 field in 1995, It's total yield was 13722kg/ha in 1997, exceeds local Longzhong alfalfa by 18%.

"Zhongmu No.l" alfalfa is adapted for use in northern China for 0.25-0.83% NaCl or Na2SO4 saline land.

Table 1. The yield and the plant height of Zhongmu No.1 in 0.25-0.83% NaCl field at Dezhou test location

Mean exceed control cultivar by (%)
YieldPlant Height
YearStubbleCultivar(kg/ha)(cm)(Yield) (Plant height)
First cutZhongmuNo.12935.551.8
1995Baoding(ck)2554.546.614.911.1
Second cut ZhongmuNo.1 220252.8
Baoding(ck)1968 49.7 11.9 6.2
First cut ZhongmuNo.l302450.33
1996 Baoding(ck)2707.548.2011.71 4.42
Second cut ZhongmuNo.l240053.6
Baoding(ck)217550.2 10.57 6.89
First cutZhongmuNo.l 4531.562.2
Baoding(ck)3973.557.914.0 7.4
1997 Second cut ZhongmuNo.1 2098.560.2
Baoding(ck)1867.557.612.4 4.5
Third cut ZhongmuNo.1 1972.561.9
Baoding(ck)1750.558.5 12.7 6.4

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