The relationship between shoot growth and root reserves of alfalfa with different fall dormancy in early spring

摘要

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars with less fall dormancy grow rapidly in autumn, but also resume shoot growth earlier in spring.Our objective was to determine how shoot growth and root carbohydrate and nitrogen pools of alfalfa with contrasting fall dormancy change in spring.The results of a field experiment showed that less fall dormant cultivars exhibited rapid shoot growth in spring resulting in higher plant height and greater shoot mass.Meanwhile, these cultivars contained higher concentration and pool of nonstructural carbohydrates, but lower concentration of soluble protein in roots when compared with fall dormant cultivars.