EFECTO DE LA TEMPERATURA Y SALINIDAD EN LA GERMINACIÓN Y CRECIMIENTO INICIAL DE UN MATERIAL NATURALIZADO DE Lotus tenuis WALDST. & KIT.

Establishment of the perennial forage legume Lotus tenuis Waldst. & Kit is difficult in central-north areas of Argentina because thermal and water stressful conditions during summer. In the present study, germination behavior and initial growth was evaluated for a naturalized population of L. tenuis from center-north of Santa Fe province and it was compared with the Aguapé commercial cultivar. Constant and alternating germination temperatures and initial growth, under controlled conditions of light and temperature, were assessed under salinity stress. Higher temperatures negatively affect the germination of both materials, under stressful and non-stressful conditions. Salinity tolerance was higher at lower constant temperature and alternating. Salinity negatively affects biomass production in initial growth although biomass allocation was not affected. The cv. Aguapé showed a better behavior than naturalized material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]