Variation in Epicuticular Wax Content of Alfalfa Cultivars and Clones
1986
Galeano, R. | Rumbaugh, M. D. | Johnson, D. A. | Bushnell, J. L.
Increased epicuticular wax per unit leaf area has been suggested as a potential mechanism for decreasing cuticular transpiration of plants and for reducing the incidence of bloat when ruminants graze legumes. The objectives of this study were to quantify the epicuticular wax content of some alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars and clones and to estimate the heritability of the trait. Epicuticular wax amounts were measured by extraction with carbon tetrachloride and gravimetric procedures in 28 cultivars and 100 clones of alfalfa during two harvest periods. The effects of cultivars, clones, sampling periods, test sites, and most of their interactions were statistically significant. Seasonal averages of epicuticular wax ranged from 4.62 to 8.82 g kg⁻¹ among the cultivars and from 2.94 to 10.38 g kg⁻¹ among the clones. Cultivar and clone rankings were quite consistent in the different environments. Broad sense heritability (H) of wax amount for the clones was 0.99, indicating that epicuticular wax of alfalfa could be increased by breeding and selection.
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