Caracterización morfológica de alfalfa granada mejorada (Medicago sativa) inducida mediante rayos gamma en la alimentación animal

Over the years, the demand for forage has significantly increased due to the constant growth of livestock farming in various regions around the world. In response to this need, many farmers, even since ancient times, have chosen alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as a highly nutritious feed source, thanks to its richness in proteins, vitamins, and essential minerals for animal development. However, like any plant species, alfalfa has certain limitations in its adaptability to different climatic and soil conditions, particularly in tropical areas. To address this issue, the Technical University of Babahoyo (UTB), committed to sustainable agricultural and livestock development, decided to fund the project titled “Variability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) under tropical conditions through induced mutagenesis.” This study aimed to improve the morphological and genotypic characteristics of the Granada variety of alfalfa through the application of induced mutagenesis using a gamma ray irradiator. To achieve this, different irradiation doses (referred to as GY) were applied, using a completely randomized design with 6 treatments and 3 replications per treatment. The doses applied were: T1 = 0 GY (control), T2 = 100 GY, T3 = 150 GY, T4 = 200 GY, T5 = 250 GY, and T6 = 300 GY. The results showed that the 100 GY treatment led to significant improvements in stem diameter and seed germination rate, suggesting that this technique can be effective for optimizing alfalfa performance under tropical conditions such as those found in Ecuador’s coastal region.

Over the years, the demand for forage has significantly increased due to the constant growth of livestock farming in various regions around the world. In response to this need, many farmers, even since ancient times, have chosen alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as a highly nutritious feed source, thanks to its richness in proteins, vitamins, and essential minerals for animal development. However, like any plant species, alfalfa has certain limitations in its adaptability to different climatic and soil conditions, particularly in tropical areas. To address this issue, the Technical University of Babahoyo (UTB), committed to sustainable agricultural and livestock development, decided to fund the project titled “Variability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) under tropical conditions through induced mutagenesis.” This study aimed to improve the morphological and genotypic characteristics of the Granada variety of alfalfa through the application of induced mutagenesis using a gamma ray irradiator. To achieve this, different irradiation doses (referred to as GY) were applied, using a completely randomized design with 6 treatments and 3 replications per treatment. The doses applied were: T1 = 0 GY (control), T2 = 100 GY, T3 = 150 GY, T4 = 200 GY, T5 = 250 GY, and T6 = 300 GY. The results showed that the 100 GY treatment led to significant improvements in stem diameter and seed germination rate, suggesting that this technique can be effective for optimizing alfalfa performance under tropical conditions such as those found in Ecuador’s coastal region.

Con el pasar de los años, la demanda forrajera ha aumentado de manera considerable debido al crecimiento constante de la ganadería en diversas regiones del mundo. En respuesta a esta necesidad, muchos ganaderos, incluso desde tiempos remotos, han optado por emplear como fuente alimenticia de alto valor nutricional a la alfalfa (Medicago sativa), gracias a su riqueza en proteínas, vitaminas y minerales esenciales para el desarrollo animal. No obstante, como toda especie vegetal, esta planta presenta ciertas limitaciones en su adaptabilidad a diferentes condiciones climáticas y edafológicas, especialmente en zonas tropicales. Frente a esta problemática, la Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo (UTB), comprometida con el desarrollo agrícola y pecuario sostenible, decidió financiar el proyecto titulado “Variabilidad de alfalfa (Medicago sativa) en condiciones tropicales mediante mutagénesis inducida”. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo principal mejorar las características morfológicas y genotípicas de la planta de alfalfa variedad Granada, mediante la aplicación de mutagénesis inducida utilizando un irradiador de rayos gamma. Para lograrlo, se aplicaron diferentes dosis de irradiación (denominadas GY), a través de un diseño completamente al azar con 6 tratamientos y 3 repeticiones por tratamiento. Las dosis utilizadas fueron: T1 = 0 GY (testigo), T2 = 100 GY, T3 = 150 GY, T4 = 200 GY, T5 = 250 GY y T6 = 300 GY. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que el tratamiento con 100 GY produjo mejoras significativas en el diámetro del tallo y en el porcentaje de germinación de las semillas, lo que sugiere que esta técnica puede ser efectiva para optimizar el rendimiento de la alfalfa en condiciones tropicales como las de la región litoral ecuatoriana.