NALYSIS OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL, PHENOLOGICAL AND BIOMETRICAL DIVERSITY IN SEVERAL ALGERIAN POPULATIONS OF TRIFOLIUM SUBTERRANEUM L. (FABACEAE)
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
researchgate
Abstract
Abstract
As part of the evaluation and the valorization of plant genetic resources of fodder and pastoral interest in Algeria, twentysix
(26)
natural
populations
of
subterranean
clover
(Trifolium
subterraneum
L.),
originating
from different ecological habitats,
were the subject of a morphological, phenological and biometrical study. In total, fifty (50) characteristics were considered (33
quantitative related to vegetative development, flowering, pods and 17 qualitative related to leaves, flowers and seeds). Two
ecological factors (altitude and rainfall), concerning the natural habitats of the populations, were also considered. The analysis
of variance highlighted the existence of significant intraspecific and inter-population variation for several traits. The Biometrical
and phenological characteristics were more discriminating than qualitative ones (markers). Several significant correlations were
observed between the markers and certain traits related to the reproduction and yield. Compared to the rainfall, the effect of the
altitude was relatively more pronounced on the variation of certain quantitative and qualitative characteristics (seeds
weight/fruiting heads weight ratio, flush intensity, crescent breadth and stem hairiness). The results of the PCA indicate a wide
morpho-phenological and biometrical variation, particularly between the populations coming from the region of Guelma. The
precocity, the vegetative development, the flower production and the fruiting heads weight permitted to classify the populations
into three distinct groups. This study highlighted the importance of certain quantitative and qualitative characteristics in the
infraspecific classification of the species T. subterraneum in Algeria and suggests that the populations collected in the Northeast
of the country would correspond to the ssp. subterraneum. The diversified performances described in the Algerian populations
of T. subterraneum require their preservation and valorization.