Trait differences between and within ranges of an invasive legume species

Novel ecological interactions can drive natural selection in non-native species and trait evolution may increase the likelihood of invasion. We can gain insight into the potential role of evolution in invasion success by comparing traits of successful individuals in the invasive range with the traits of individuals from the native range in order to determine which traits are most likely to allow species to overcome barriers to invasion. Here we used Medicago polymorpha , a non-native legume species from the Mediterranean that has invaded six continents around the world, to quantify differences in life history traits among genotypes collected from the native and invasive range and grown in a common greenhouse environment. We found significant differences in fruit and seed production and biomass allocation between invasive and native range genotypes. Invasive genotypes had greater fecundity, but invested more energy into belowground growth relative to native genotypes. Beyond the variation between ranges, we found additional variation among genotypes within each range in flowering phenology, total biomass, biomass allocation, and fecundity. We found non-linear relationships between some traits and fitness that were much stronger for plants from the invasive range. These trait differences between ranges suggest that stabilizing selection on biomass, resource allocation, and flowering phenology imposed during or after introduction of this species may increase invasion success.

Use of spineless cactus associated with legume hay in the feedlot-finishing of lambs in semi-arid regions

The objective of this study were to examine the effects of diets containing spineless cactus associated with hays of different legume species [gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium), “catingueira” (Caesalpinia bracteosa), “sabiá” (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth) and “catanduva” (Piptadenia moniliformis Benth)] on the intake, digestibility, performance and carcass traits of lambs. Twenty-four ½ Santa Inês × ½ Soinga lambs with an average body weight of 21.4 ± 2.53 kg were distributed into four treatments in a completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of diets formulated with the association of spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) and hay of four legume species, namely, “catanduva”, “sabiá” “catingueira” and gliricidia. The lowest intakes (P<0.05) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and total carbohydrates occurred in the animals that received the diet containing catingueira hay. However, there were no diet effects (P>0.05) on the intakes of crude protein (CP), ether extract and non-fibrous carbohydrates. The diets also did not change (P>0.05) the weight gain (0.197 kg/day) or final weight (33.18 kg) of the lambs or the apparent digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP and NDF. Consequently, the parameters of live weight at slaughter (34.10 kg), hot carcass weight (14.81 kg), cold carcass weight (14.66 kg), hot carcass yield (45.60%) and cold carcass yield (45.07%) exhibited the no response to treatment. In addition to these variables, the diets also did not influence subcutaneous fat thickness (2.54 mm), longissimus muscle area (13.34 cm2), morphometric measurements of the carcass, or the proportions of muscle and fat. Therefore, legume hays associated with spineless cactus can be used to feed ½ Santa Inês × ½ Soinga lambs in the feedlot, as this strategy provides heavy animals at the time of slaughter and carcasses with desirable degrees of muscularity and adiposity.

Sowing Mixtures of Native Plant Species: Are There Any Differences between Hydroseeding and Regular Seeding?

Hydroseeding is a convenient, low-cost way to plant seeds. Traditionally, fast-growing commercial species that are cheap to obtain are preferred in hydroseeding, while native species have limited use. Nowadays, the use of native species is often desired in revegetation projects. However, there is a paucity of information about hydroseeding native species in Northern areas of Europe. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether hydroseeding has any effects on native plant cover formation, species richness and abundance, the development of plant morphological features, or aboveground biomass. A total of 40 native plant species in Lithuania were sowed using hydroseeding and regular seeding. The experimental plots were assessed for two years. The results show a relatively small and short positive effect of hydroseeding on plant cover formation. No significant differences were found in species richness between the sowing treatments. However, a comparison of species composition revealed significant differences between the sowing treatments that were more associated with species abundance than species diversity. Hydroseeding was favoured by legume species, such as Onobrychis viciifolia, Ononis arvensis, Lotus corniculatus, and Trifolium medium, while Festuca rubra favoured the regular seeding treatment. Overall, our findings emphasize that legume species that display more competitive growth traits should be included in the seed mixture in lower proportions when hydroseeding is applied.

Legume Nitrogen Fixation and Symbioses in Low-Inputs Rainfed Rice Rotations

Cropping systems with legumes play key roles in farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa. However, how commonly legume associations perform in low input-systems is not well-known. Here, we studied four legume species used in three systems in rotation with upland rice, i.e., groundnut monocropping, sorghum–cowpea intercropping, and velvet bean–crotalaria intercropping, in two fertilization managements on the previous rice, i.e., manure alone or complemented with mineral fertilization. Legume suitability was assessed using rhizobial and mycorrhizal colonization rates, plant biomass production, shoot N and P content, and biological N2 fixation based on their δ15N natural abundance. Shoot and root biomasses varied significantly between legume species and were positively correlated with nodule number (r = 0.49 and 0.74, p-value < 0.05 and <0.001, respectively) and the amount of fixed N (r = 0.73 and 0.50, p-value < 0.001 and <0.05, respectively). The proportion of plant N derived from N2 fixation also varied significantly between species, with a higher percentage for velvet bean (66%), compared to the other three species (50 to 60%). Legume roots were weakly colonized by AM fungi, with similar levels between species. Overall, fertilization management did not significantly impact legume biomass, symbioses, or N2 fixation, yet the organo-mineral fertilization significantly increased legume shoot P content. The lack of effect of mineral fertilization on N2 fixation and biomass could be due to other nutrient deficiencies (Ca, Mg, micronutrients), which can hamper symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhizae.

Benefits of Legume Species in an Agroforestry Production System of Yellow Pitahaya in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Agroforestry systems have become an alternative that promotes the conservation of natural resources and the sustainable production of fruit crops in the Ecuadorian Amazon. However, it is required to demonstrate the benefit of the companion species that make up these production systems. The objective of this research was to determine how the legume species within an agroforestry system influence the yield of yellow dragon fruit (pitahaya), carbon sequestration and nutritional contribution. The experiment was carried out in Palora (province of Morona Santiago) and organized in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were two agroforestry arrangements and the monoculture as a control treatment. Erythrina poeppigiana, Gliricidia sepium and Flemingia macrophylla were used in the agroforestry arrangements for the contribution of biomass. Results showed that during the five years of study, pitahaya yield was influenced by the quality of the leaf litter (biomass) incorporated in to the fruit crop. Biomass from E. poeppigiana and F. macrophylla as companion crops contributed a greater amount of Ca and Mg, increased C sequestration and crop yield. The results suggest that the use of legume species in agroforestry systems positively affects pitahaya productivity, enabling sustainable agriculture in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Structural And Functional Analysis of CCT Family Genes In Pigeonpea

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp) is a short-day plant in which the flowering is highly sensitive to photoperiod. A better understanding of the genes modulating photoresponse and flowering time is critical to developing photoperiod insensitive pigeonpea cultivars for cultivation across the seasons. We identified 33 CCT family genes (CcCCT1- CcCCT33) in C. cajan and localized them on 10 chromosomes and nine genomic scaffolds. The structural analysis of CCT family genes revealed a considerable variation in length and distribution of exons and introns. Based on the type of domain(s), we classified the CCT family genes into CCT motif family (CMF) type, CONSTANS like (COL) type, Pseudo-response Regulator (PRR) type, and GATA and tifi containing CCT (GTCC) type. The CCT family genes of C. cajan exhibited an extensive orthologous relationship with the CCT family genes of other legume species. We also observed significant sharing of CCT family genes among the legume species. Glycine max exhibited the maximum sharing of CCT family genes with C. cajan. The analysis of CCT family proteins-based phylogenic relationships revealed a general congruence with the legumes' taxonomic relationships. The expression analysis of CCT family genes of pigeonpea demonstrated that CcCCT4 and CcCCT23 are the active CONSTANS (CO) in ICP20338. In contrast, only CcCCT23 is active in MAL3, explaining the differential response of ICP20338 and MAL3 to photoperiod. The chromosomes of C. cajan contain a variable number of CCT family genes. A majority of these genes are localized in the centromeric regions. The COL type CCT genes are structurally highly diverse and contain a variable number of B-box domains. The CCT family genes of different legume species exhibit all three kinds of relationships: one-to-one, many-to-one, and many-to-many types. The photoperiod insensitive cultivar ICP20338 contains CcCCT4 and CcCCT23, while the photoperiod sensitive cultivar MAL3 contains only CcCCT23 as active CONSTANS (CO), which may be the plausible reason for their differential photoperiod response.

Evaluation of Microbial Diversity, Community Composition and Function in Mixed Cropping Systems Using Three Legume Species Under the Application of Biochar or Chemical Fertiliser

Mixed cropping systems involve utilising multiple crop species on the field and diversifying aboveground plants. However, several contradicting results have been reported regarding their effects on soil microbial diversity. Therefore, to evaluate the effects of different leguminous species used in mixed cropping systems and the types of fertiliser on the diversity of soil microbes, a pot study was performed under maize/legume mixed cropping systems with one of three legumes, including cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], velvet bean [Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.] and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) , and one of three types of fertiliser treatments, namely chemical fertiliser (CF), carbonised chicken manure (CM) or the lack of fertiliser (Ctr). 16S rRNA analyses were conducted using the soils sampled from each pot for soil bacterial diversity assessment, and Tax4Fun2 was used for bacterial functional prediction analysis. A decrease in microbial diversity after CM application was observed in the soil with velvet bean + maize (MM) compared to the Ctr treatment, whereas an increase in microbial diversity was observed in the soil with common bean + maize (PM) in the same condition. With CM application, the abundance of treatment-unique bacteria increased with PM treatment, whereas their decrease was observed with MM treatment. In contrast, the abundance of dominant microbes, including Thaumarchaeota, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia, was significantly lower in PM but higher in MM after CM application. Functional prediction analysis indicated that the dominant bacteria were involved in CM decomposition processes and nitrification in MM treatment. Legume species-dependent factors, including nutrient absorption and root exudate composition, might be important concerning soil bacterial diversities.