Prospects for domesticating Illinois bundleflower
Kulakow, P.A.; Benson, L.L.; Vail, J.G.
Advances in new crops Proceedings of the first national symposium ' New crops research, development, economics' , Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 23-26 October 1988: 168-171
1990
Accession: 002197755
Desmanthus illinoensis is a warm season perennial legume of the North American grasslands. Prospects for its domestication as a grain legume crop are considered and the species' nutritive value, nitrogen fixing capacity and potential for genetic improvement are examined. When 14 accessions were screened in 1987, flowering duration ranged from 27 to 68 days, plant height from 37 to 71 cm, bundles produced from 3 to 21 per plant, bundles harvested at peak harvest from 42 to 99%, and seed weight per plant from 0.29 to 6.28 g. Among 82 accessions evaluated in 1988 seed yield ranged from 615 to 1700 kg/ha. Seed yield was associated with vegetative vigour (r = 0.45) and plant height (r = 0.50).