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Biotech Studies 2007, Vol 16, Num, 1-2     (Pages: 039-050)
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TÜRKİYE ORTA ANADOLU BÖLGESİ YÜKSEK ALANLARININ BAZI YABANİ YONCA POPULASYONLARINDAKİ FARKLILIKLAR

Sabahaddin ÜNAL ,Hüseyin Kansur FIRINCIOĞLU

1 The Central Research Institute for the Field Crops, P. O. Box: 226, Postal code number: 06042, Ulus, Ankara - Despite high genetic diversity of wild Medicago in Turkey, so far a no medicago cultivar has been registered for use in range restoration. Thus, there is an urgent need for a medicago cultivar that could be used for rangeland rehabilitation. Wild populations could be used as a useful tool in enhancement of medicago germplasm. The purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude of phenotypic variation in order to search for improve plant material which may be suitable for use in rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Central Anatolian Highlands of Turkey. Present Medicago populations were collected in a wide range of altitude from 1050 m to 1770 m in both the provinces of Ankara and Sivas. This study was conducted during the years of 2001 to 2003 in the research farm of The Central Research Institute for the Field Crops, located 44 km south-west of Ankara. In total 16 populations of medicago were investigated for morphological and phenological attributes.

Plant growth habit of the populations varied from medium to semi-prostrate types indicating suitability of the populations for grazing. The plants with a prostrate growth habit tendency had larger creeping diameter and earlier maturity. The 16 populations were grouped in 4 four main groups in view of investigated characteristics. As a result, the populations placed in the second and third main groups had of more grazing type plants. Thus, these populations were selected for further studies for cultivar development for rehabilitation of rangelands in Central Anatolia. Keywords : Medicago populations, morphologic characters and phenologic characters