Pasture, forage and seed production technology through pod and leaf retention on annuals of the Medicago genus (annual medics)

摘要

The present invention relates to improved cultivars, varieties, lines or plants of annual medics (Medicago genus) wherein the majority of seed pods, upon reaching maturity, remain attached to their respective pedicels. In particular, the present invention relates to improved cultivars, varieties, lines or plants of annual medics (Medicago genus), having a mutant form of the gene for pod shedding, thereby resulting in a "pod holding" trait. The invention also extends to methods for isolating such plants. A yet further aspect of the invention relates to a method of transferring the "pod holding" trait from an annual medic having this trait to another annual medic of the genus Medicago by a process of controlled cross-breeding. A still further aspect of the invention relates to a method of obtaining plants having the "pod holding" trait from a population of annual medics of the genus Medicago.