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Keywords = reduced-lignin alfalfa

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17 pages, 7234 KB  
Article
Breeding of a Multifoliolate Alfalfa Population Using CRISPR/Cas9-Generated Mutants and Evaluation of Agronomic Traits and Nutritive Value
by Yuxin Wang, Yiyu Wang, Jianglei Wang, Lan Mu, Weiliang Kou, Shuifen Huang, Shaoli Zhou, Ming Cai, Jianghua Chen and Haitao Chen
Plants 2026, 15(6), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15060953 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1074
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a major forage legume worldwide. Developing multifoliolate germplasm has been explored as a strategy to improve forage nutritive value and support more efficient forage livestock production. Here, we developed a multifoliolate population, SJ-ML, using CRISPR/Cas9-generated palmate-like pentafoliate [...] Read more.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a major forage legume worldwide. Developing multifoliolate germplasm has been explored as a strategy to improve forage nutritive value and support more efficient forage livestock production. Here, we developed a multifoliolate population, SJ-ML, using CRISPR/Cas9-generated palmate-like pentafoliate mutants as donor parents. Molecular and phenotypic analyses indicated a stable inheritance of the edited alleles and the multifoliolate trait in SJ-ML. SJ-ML was evaluated under solar greenhouse and field conditions, with the recipient cultivar ‘Aohan’ as the greenhouse control and the commercial cultivars ‘Galaxie-Max’ and ‘GN5’ as field controls. SJ-ML showed a greater leaf area and a higher leaf-to-stem ratio, without reductions in yield or plant height. Nutritive analyses indicated that SJ-ML had a higher crude protein content, relative feed value, digestible dry matter, and dry matter intake, while acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and lignin were lower than those of the controls. Across regrowth stages, SJ-ML generally maintained a higher nutritive value than controls. These results support SJ-ML as a multifoliolate germplasm resource for improving nutritive value without a trade-off in agronomic traits, with potential relevance for sustainable agriculture through enhanced forage protein value and a reduced reliance on supplemental protein in some ration contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forage and Sustainable Agriculture)
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12 pages, 6953 KB  
Article
Unveiling the Effects of Phosphorus on the Mineral Nutrient Content and Quality of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in Acidic Soils
by Zhou Li, Yunfei Hao, Xiaowen Wang, Jin He, Xuechun Zhao, Jihui Chen, Xinyao Gu, Mingjun Zhang, Feng Yang and Rui Dong
Agronomy 2024, 14(10), 2271; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102271 - 2 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1620
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown in acidic soils is often affected by phosphorus (P) deficiency, which results in reduced mineral nutrient content and forage quality. In this context, the effects of phosphorus (P) fertiliser remain unclear. In this study, we analysed the [...] Read more.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown in acidic soils is often affected by phosphorus (P) deficiency, which results in reduced mineral nutrient content and forage quality. In this context, the effects of phosphorus (P) fertiliser remain unclear. In this study, we analysed the effects of P application on mineral nutrient content and forage quality in aluminium (Al)-sensitive (Longzhong) and Al-tolerant (Trifecta) alfalfa cultivars cultivated in two acidic soil environments. Mineral nutrient content and quality were affected by genotype, soil type, and P treatment concentration (p < 0.001). In limestone soil, for Longzhong and Trifecta, the optimal potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) contents as well as crude protein content (CP) and ether extract (EE) values were observed at 20 mg P kg−1, that of the P content was observed at 40 mg P kg−1, and the minimum neutral detergent fibre (NDF) acid detergent lignin (ADL) values were observed at 40 mg P kg−1. In yellow soil, the maximum K, Ca, Mg, and P contents in Longzhong and Trifecta were observed at 40 mg P kg−1, whereas the maximum CP, EE, and ADL values were observed at 20 mg P kg−1. Our study provides an empirically based framework for optimising alfalfa fertilisation programmes in acidic soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Forage Crops to Environmental Stresses and Stress Alleviating Strategies)
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13 pages, 319 KB  
Review
Alfalfa Stem Cell Wall Digestibility: Current Knowledge and Future Research Directions
by Krishna B. Bhandari, Hannah L. Rusch and Deborah J. Heuschele
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 2875; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122875 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4913
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is considered as the most important forage legume with high biomass yield and nutritional quality for ruminants. The alfalfa leaf cell walls are highly digestible, but stem cell walls of alfalfa are not readily digestible. The cell wall [...] Read more.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is considered as the most important forage legume with high biomass yield and nutritional quality for ruminants. The alfalfa leaf cell walls are highly digestible, but stem cell walls of alfalfa are not readily digestible. The cell wall component of alfalfa has a large source of dietary energy, but ruminant animals can digest less than half of this component due to the presence of high lignin content. The main goal of this review is to make a summary of existing knowledge of alfalfa cell wall thickening and lignification patterns and suggest future directions for improving alfalfa stem cell wall digestibility. We describe alfalfa cell wall biochemistry, alfalfa stem morphology, stem tissue degradation, and existing methods to improve alfalfa digestibility, and discuss the potential future strategies for improving alfalfa cell wall digestibility. Information on these will help alfalfa breeders and producers identify superior alfalfa cultivars with improved stem cell wall digestibility. Concentrating future efforts on the selection and identification of traits and associated genes that affect cell wall digestibility could improve alfalfa cell wall digestibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Grassland and Pasture Science)
15 pages, 1997 KB  
Article
Improved Forage Quality in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) via Selection for Increased Stem Fiber Digestibility
by Zhanyou Xu, Deborah J. Heuschele, JoAnn F. S. Lamb, Hans-Joachim G. Jung and Deborah A. Samac
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030770 - 7 Mar 2023
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4346
Abstract
The low digestibility of fiber in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) limits dry matter intake and energy availability in ruminant animal production systems. Previously, alfalfa plants were identified for low or high rapid (16 h) and low or high potential (96 h) in [...] Read more.
The low digestibility of fiber in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) limits dry matter intake and energy availability in ruminant animal production systems. Previously, alfalfa plants were identified for low or high rapid (16 h) and low or high potential (96 h) in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) of plant stems. Here, two cycles of bidirectional selection for 16 h and 96 h IVNDFD were carried out. The resulting populations were evaluated for total herbage, percentage of stems to total biomass, IVNDFD, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin as a proportion of NDF (ADL/NDF) at three maturity stages. Within these populations, 96 h IVNDFD was highly heritable (h2 = 0.71), while 16 h IVNDFD had lower heritability (h2 = 0.46). Selection for high IVNDFD reduced NDF and ADL/NDF in plant stems at the late flowering and green pod maturity stages and reduced seasonal variability in stem digestibility but did not alter the percentage of stems. Stability analyses across 12 harvest environments found that selection for high IVNDFD had little effect on environmental stability of the trait compared to the unselected population. Thus, selection for stem IVNDFD was a highly effective strategy for developing alfalfa populations with improved nutritional quality without changing the percentage of stems to total biomass. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breeding Advances in Legume Diversification and Biofortification)
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11 pages, 265 KB  
Article
The Effect of Tytanit on Fibre Fraction Content in Medicago x varia T. Martyn and Trifolium pratense L. Cell Walls
by Milena Truba and Jacek Sosnowski
Agriculture 2022, 12(2), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020191 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3242
Abstract
The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of foliar application of Tytanit, a stimulator based on titanium, on the content of fibrous fractions, cellulose, and hemicellulose in the cell walls of h. alfalfa and r. clover. The experimental factors were [...] Read more.
The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of foliar application of Tytanit, a stimulator based on titanium, on the content of fibrous fractions, cellulose, and hemicellulose in the cell walls of h. alfalfa and r. clover. The experimental factors were plant species and titanium doses. The content of cell wall fibrous fractions was determined with near-infrared spectroscopy, and Relative Feed Value (RFV), and cellulose and hemicellulose content were calculated based on acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). The stimulator differentiated the content of fibrous fractions in plant cell walls. Its largest dose lowered ADF content to 2.3% in plant dry matter, and the smallest one increased accumulation of the ADL fraction by 1.6%. NDF content in the dry matter of h. alfalfa and r. clover was lower than the desired optimum for plants used as forage, and the stimulator additionally reduced it by 4.9%. Higher doses of titanium decreased carbohydrate content during unfavourable hydrothermal conditions. However, there was no significant effect of differentiated Tytanit doses on the RFV value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Legumes: Advances in Breeding, Productivity and Quality)
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