A Field Test for Assessing the Winter Hardiness of Alfalfa in Northwestern Canada

McKenzie, James; McLean, Glen

doi:10.4141/cjps84-125

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Progress is also impeded by the lack of a rapid and accurate means of assessing winter hardiness potential and the reliance on the unpredictable occurrence of test winters that selectively discriminate between sensitive and tolerant genotypes (McKenzie and McLean 1984). In addition, the uniqueness of each winter in terms of the nature of the abiotic stress makes it difficult both for the evaluation of progress and the genetic selection.…”

Section: Species and Cultivarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter damage to perennial forage crops in eastern Canada: Causes, mitigation, and prediction

Bélanger¹,

Castonguay²,

Bertrand³

et al. 2006

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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R. 2006. Winter damage to perennial forage crops in eastern Canada: Causes, mitigation, and prediction. Can. J. Plant Sci. 86: 33-47. Harsh winter climate results in frequent losses of stands and yield reduction in many forage-growing areas of Canada and other parts of the world. Climatic conditions and crop management both affect the winter survival of perennial forage crops. In this review, we present the main causes of winter damage in eastern Canada and we discuss crop management practices that help mitigate the risks of losses. Predictive tools available to assess the risks of winter damage both spatially and temporally are also presented. Our understanding of the causes of winter damage and of the plant adaptation mechanisms to winter stresses, particularly the role of N and C organic reserves, has improved. Forage species commonly grown in eastern Canada differ in their tolerance to subfreezing temperatures and to anoxia caused by the presence of ice on fields. Some improvement in winter hardiness of forage legume species has been achieved through breeding in eastern Canada but new technologies based on laboratory freezing tests and the identification of molecular markers may facilitate the future development of winter-hardy cultivars. Crop management practices required for good winter survival are now better defined, particularly those involving cutting management and the interval between harvests. Simulation models and climatic indices derived from our current knowledge of the causes of winter damage provide general indications on the risk of winter damage but their degree of precision and accuracy is still not satisfactory. Further improvements in winter survival require a more thorough understanding of the different causes of winter damage and, primarily, of their complex interactions with genetic, climatic, and management factors.

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Section: Species and Cultivarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter damage to perennial forage crops in eastern Canada: Causes, mitigation, and prediction

Bélanger¹,

Castonguay²,

Bertrand³

et al. 2006

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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“…The crown and root rot complex is known to be a limiting factor to alfalfa production throughout the world (19,26). In China, this disease was first reported in the Xinjiang Province in 1989 (8).…”

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confidence: 99%

Microdochium tabacinum, Confirmed as a Pathogen of Alfalfa in Gansu Province, China

et al. 2015

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Wen, Z., Duan, T., Christensen, M. J., and Nan, Z. 2015. Microdochium tabacinum, confirmed as a pathogen of alfalfa in Gansu Province, China. Plant Dis. 99:87-92.A crown and root rot complex was detected in the alfalfa (Medicago sativa 'Longdong') fields of Huanxian County. The symptoms of the diseased plants were characterized, and 11 fungal species were ob tained from the roots. These fungi included isolates that resembled the genus Microdochium. An isolate of this type, designated MP313, was proven to infect alfalfa, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Isolate MP313 was examined by microscopy and the morphological characteristics indi cated that it was similar to members of the genus Microdochium. Se quence analyses of the 28S large subunit as well as the internal tran scribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of MP313 revealed 98 to 100% similarity to the corresponding regions of M. tabacinum. A polymerase chain reaction assay based on the ITS region of the rDNA was developed to amplify a 304-bp fragment from DNA concentrations as low as 20 fg/pl, which was sensitive enough to detect isolate MP313 in diseased root samples. Taken together, these results confirmed that M. tabacinum was one of a complex of fungi associated with crown and root rot in the alfalfa samples collected in Gansu Prov ince. This is the first report of M. tabacinum being a pathogen of alfal fa in China.

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“…Most alfalfa cultivars recommended for use in western Canada possess sufficient winter hardiness to survive in these regions provided that adequate snow is present (McKenzie and McLean 1984;Gossen et al 1992;Goplen and Gossen 1994). However, prolonged and persistent snow cover encourages the development of winter crown rot of alfalfa, which is caused by the cottony snow mold form of LTB (Cormack 1948;Gaudet and Bhalla 1988;Laroche et al 1995).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of low-temperature stress on development of winter crown rot in first-year alfalfa

Hwang¹,

Gaudet²

1998

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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. 1998. Effects of low-temperature stress on development of winter crown rot in first-year alfalfa. Can J. Plant Sci. 78: 689-695. The effects of sub-lethal low temperatures on predisposing first-year alfalfa plants to infection by the low temperature basidiomycete (LTB), and the effects of sub-lethal winter crown rot levels on alfalfa cold hardiness were evaluated in controlled environment and field studies. Alfalfa, subjected to the sublethal stress temperature of -7.5°C for 1 to 5 wk and inoculated with LTB, exhibited higher mortality, lower shoot dry weights, and higher winter crown rot levels than alfalfa similarly inoculated but non-stressed. Inoculation and incubation of alfalfa with the LTB fungus for 4 wk decreased the freezing resistance of cv. Barrier and cv. Peace alfalfa by 26 and 32%, respectively, compared with the non-inoculated controls. Following inoculation and incubation with LTB, stress temperatures between -6 and -15°C increased LTB induced mortality in Barrier by 17-54% and in Peace by 10-75%. These results demonstrate that sub-lethal low-temperature stress can act synergistically with winter crown rot pathogen to reduce survival and yield in first-year alfalfa.Key words: Medicago sativa L., alfalfa, low temperature, winter crown rot, Coprinus psychromorbidus Hwang, S. F. et Gaudet, D. A. 1998. Effets des basses températures sur l'apparition et la gravité du pourridié hivernal chez la luzerne de 1ère année. Can. J. Plant Sci. 78: 689-695. Nous avons évalué en conditions de culture contrôlées ainsi qu'au champ les effets de basses températures sublétales sur la prédisposition des plants de luzerne de 1 re année au basidiomycète psychrotrophe (BP), ainsi que ceux des niveaux sublétaux d'infection de pourridié hivernal sur la résistance à l'hiver de la luzerne. Exposée au stress sub-létal d'une température de -7,5°C pendant une à cinq semaines et ensemencée d'inoculum du BP, la luzerne manifestait des taux de mortalité plus élevés, un moindre poids sec des parties aériennes et des niveaux plus graves d'infection au pourridié hivernal que les plantes pareillement ensemencées mais non exposées au stress du froid. L'inoculation suivie de quatre semaines d'incubation en présence du BP abaissait, respectivement, de 26 et de 32 % la résistance au gel des plantes des cultivars Barrier et Peace, par rapport aux témoins non infectés. De même, après inoculation et incubation, l'exposition à des températures de -6 à -15°C donnait lieu à un accroissement de la mortalité due au BP de 17 à 54 % chez Barrier et de 10 à 75 % chez Peace. À la lumière de ces résultats, on peut voir que les basses températures sublétales, en synergie avec le pathogène du pourridié hivernal, peuvent réduire la survie et le rendement de la luzerne de 1 re année.

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A Field Test for Assessing the Winter Hardiness of Alfalfa in Northwestern Canada

Cited by 8 publications

References 2 publications

Winter damage to perennial forage crops in eastern Canada: Causes, mitigation, and prediction

Winter damage to perennial forage crops in eastern Canada: Causes, mitigation, and prediction

Microdochium tabacinum, Confirmed as a Pathogen of Alfalfa in Gansu Province, China

Effects of low-temperature stress on development of winter crown rot in first-year alfalfa

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