Herbaceous Perennial Legume Research Articles

Histo-anatomical features of garden lupin (lupinus polyphyllus lindl.)

Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. (garden lupin, large-leaved lupin) is a perennial herbaceous legume, used for ornamental purposes, for improving soil quality, as forage or in human food products. However, little is known about anatomical features this species’Lupin vegetative organs (roots, petioles, leaf blades) were collected, cross sectioned and analyzed by bright-field microscopy. Lupin roots showed primary and incipient secondary structures, with a cortex featuring large-sized cells with rich cellular content and granular solid inclusions. Leaf petioles had rare peltate hairs and large sub-stomatal lacunes, a large medullary lacune and rich parenchyma. Leaf blades had typical bifacial structure, with three-layered palisade tissue and less proeminent midrib, with a collateral bundle, protected by small caps of collenchyma. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(3): 423-428, 2024 (September)

Agronomic Performance of Perennial Herbaceous Legume Forage Crops Grown as a Cover Crop Under Coffee Trees in Southwestern Ethiopia

Agronomic Performance of Perennial Herbaceous Legume Forage Crops Grown as a Cover Crop Under Coffee Trees in Southwestern Ethiopia

Locations of seed abortion in response to defoliation differ with pollen source in a native perennial legume herb.

In many flowering plants, flowers contain more ovules than fruits have seeds. What determines which ovules become seeds? When photosynthates are limited, as may happen when plants lose leaf area to herbivory, fewer fertilized ovules become seeds. Greenhouse-grown ramets of distinct individuals of a perennial herbaceous legume were manually defoliated to various levels determined in the field, then self- or cross-pollinated. For each seed produced, we recorded its position in the fruit and its mass. From a subset of seeds from different treatments and positions in the fruits, we grew seedlings and measured their dry mass. Ovules were aborted more frequently in fruits from flowers that were self-pollinated and from those on plants with higher levels of defoliation. Ovules in the basal portion of the fruits were more likely to be aborted than those at the stigmatic end; this pattern was most pronounced for fruits after self-pollination with high levels of defoliation. Total number of seeds produced and seed mass per pod were greatest in cross-pollinated fruits after no or low levels of defoliation. Mean individual seed mass was greater for fruits with fewer seeds, indicating a trade-off between seed number and seed mass. Seedling dry mass (a measure of vigor) was greatest for seeds in the middle positions of fruit produced by cross-pollination after severe herbivory; no positional differences were seen for seeds from self-pollinated fruits. Observed locations of seed abortion may have been selected not only by defoliation, but in part by propensity for dispersal, while positional differences in seedling vigor may be related to seed size and differential maternal allocation based on pollination treatment and leaf area lost.

Soil microbiota explain differences in herbivore resistance between native and invasive populations of a perennial herb

Abstract Soil microbiota can either slow down or facilitate plant invasions through their effects on plant performance. Associations with soil microbiota can also modify other plant traits such as herbivore resistance, which can indirectly affect the outcome of plant introductions. We studied the effects of soil microbiota on the perennial herbaceous legume Lupinus polyphyllus that hosts nitrogen‐fixing mutualistic bacteria. We compared the plant performance, herbivore resistance and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of plants from native (North American) and invasive (Finnish) populations of the species that were inoculated with intact or autoclaved soil from an invasive population. We found that plants of both origins greatly benefited from the intact soil inoculum with respect to all performance measures considered, suggesting that beneficial nitrogen‐fixing rhizobia in the soil play a major role in shaping plant phenotypes. For three traits, effects of the intact soil inoculum were stronger in plants of native origin than in plants of invasive origin (number of leaves, herbivore resistance and total biomass). With the intact soil inoculum, plants of invasive origin were more resistant to snails than plants of native origin. Strikingly, differences in resistance to snails between plants of different origins disappeared entirely when soil microbes were reduced. Soil inoculum treatment altered the composition of the leaf VOC bouquet similarly regardless of plant origin. Synthesis. These results demonstrate the ability of Lupinus polyphyllus to associate with and benefit from putatively novel soil microbiota including rhizobia, which has likely contributed to its invasion success. Furthermore, it appears that the invasive populations have adapted to be less reliant on their symbionts, which further facilitates species spread. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that differences in herbivore resistance between native and invasive plant populations of the same species can depend entirely on soil microbiota.

Methods of breaking physical dormancy in seeds of the invasive weed Mimosa pudica (Fabaceae) and a comparison with 36 other species in the genus.

The herbaceous perennial legume Mimosa pudica is an invasive weed in many tropical and subtropical regions and a serious problem for farmers since it is difficult to eliminate from crop field by hand. Moreover, it has water impermeable seeds, i.e., physical dormancy (PY), which could persist in the soil seed bank for a long period of time, thus making it a big challenge to control. The aims of this study were to test the effect of various laboratory methods on breaking PY in seeds of M. pudica, to identify the site(s) of water entry into seeds of M. pudica and compare results of dormancy-breaking methods for seeds of M. pudica with those of 36 other species of Mimosa reported in the literature. Mechanical scarification, wet heat and cycles of wet heat and ice water effectively broke PY in seeds of M. pudica. Following wet heat at 80 °C for 10 min, water uptake was via the hilar region but not the pleurogram; small cracks made in the pleurogram by this treatment were not deep enough for water to enter the seed. Neither tolerance to summer temperatures nor PY is likely to be the cause of invasiveness of this species, since seeds of rare and endemic species of Mimosa also tolerate summer temperatures and have PY.

First report of Meloidogyne arenaria on roots of Grona triflora in Guangdong Province, China.

Grona triflora (Desmodium triflorum), a perennial herbaceous legume, is widely distributed in southern China. G. triflora has antipyretic, antiseptic and expectorant properties and can therefore be used as a phytomedicine (Ghosal et al. 1973). In July 2020, roots of G. triflora were investigated for nodules and rhizobia collection at the Shibaluohan Mountain Forest Park of Guangzhou. Root galls induced by a root-knot nematode were observed on 90% of the G. triflora samples (in a 200 m2 plot) and the infested plants had yellow, small and withered leaves compared with the healthy ones. The galls number on a G. triflora root ranged from 43 to 92 and the population densities of second stage juveniles (J2s) ranged from 573 to 894 per 100 cm3 soil surrounding the plant. The female perineal patterns showed a low dorsal arch, with lateral field marked by forked and broken striae, no punctate markings between the anus and tail terminus, which matched with the description of Meloidogyne arenaria (Hartman and Sasser 1985). The J2s had the following morphometric characters (n = 15): body length = 501.05 ± 23.71 µm; body width = 17.14 ± 1.23 µm; DGO = 3.13 ± 0.27 µm; stylet length = 12.97 ± 1.38 µm; tail length = 58.02 ± 4.77 µm; hyaline tail terminus = 10.08 ± 0.65 µm. DNA from four female nematodes was isolated for PCR-based diagnostic analyses. A fragment between the COII and LrRNA genes of the mitochondrial DNA was amplified with primers C2F3/1108 (Powers and Harris 1993). In addition, a 28S ribosomal DNA D2/D3 region was amplified with primers MF/MR (Hu et al. 2011). The amplicons were sequenced (GenBank No. MW315989 and MW307358). Nucleotide BLAST results indicated that both sequences show 100% identity with corresponding M. arenaria sequences of isolates from various countries such as Brazil, China, Myanmar and Vietnam (e.g., MK033428, JQ446377, KY293688 and MK026624). For further confirmation, sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) PCR was employed using the M. arenaria specific primers Far/Rar (Zijlstra et al. 2000). The amplicon was also sequenced (GenBank No. MW315990). The Nucleotide BLAST results showed >99% identity with M. arenaria isolates from Indonesia and Argentina (KP234264, KP253748 and MK015624). Greenhouse tests were conducted to analyze the capacity of M. arenaria to induce galls on G. triflora roots. The G. triflora seeds were collected from the sampling plot and germinated on 0.8% (W/V) agar plates. Then the seedlings were planted in 14 cm deep and 15 cm diam pots filled with sterilized soil from sampling plot. Every seedling was inoculated with 2,000 J2s (n = 15) and plants without J2s were used as a control. Two months later, galls were observed for inoculated roots while no galls were formed on roots of control plants. An average of 13,300 J2s and eggs of M. arenaria (reproduction factor = 6.65) were recovered from the root. Stanton and Rizo (1988) found that G. triflora was susceptible to M. javanica in Australia, and Ogbuji (1978) reported that a population of M. incognita reproduced on roots of G. triflora in Nigeria after artificial inoculation. To our knowledge, this is the first report on G. triflora parasitized by M. arenaria in Guangdong province. M. arenaria has potential to infest local, economically important plants like citrus, pomelo, sugarcane, maize and peanut. As G. triflora is widely distributed in southern China, there is the risk of spreading M. arenaria into agricultural and horticultural systems, that will cause yield loss and economic impacts.

A high biomass yielding legume fodder variety Desmanthus CO 2 suited for all states of India

A high yielding perennial herbaceous legume fodder variety Desmanthus CO 2 was developed at the Department of Forage Crops, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. It is a gamma ray mutant of Desmanthus CO 1. The mutant was identified owing to its superior performance in station trials conducted from 2013 to 2015. It was evaluated in Multi Location during 2015-17 and in On Farm Trial during 2016-18. Simultaneously it was also tested under the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Forage Crops and Utilization Trials during 2016-18. The variety CO 2 (mutant TND 1308) registered an overall green fodder yield of 91.04 t/ha in all the trials which were 14.18 per cent increase over the national check CO 1. The mean dry matter yield was 115.1 q/ha which was 15.15 per cent over the national check CO 1. Similarly, it has the mean dry matter yield of 0.55 q/ha/day, the crude protein content of 15.58 per cent, Acid Detergent Fibre of 40.80 per cent, Neutral detergent fibre of 54.38 per cent and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of 60.06 per cent ensuring increased palatability, digestibility and intake rate. It ranked first at All India level during 2016 to 2018 for a green fodder yield (44.18 t/ha), dry matter yield (115.1 q/ha) and DMY (0.55 q/ha/day) which was 12.78, 15.15 and 14.58 per cent superior over the national check CO 1, respectively. Considering the green fodder yield and fodder quality of the culture TND 1308, it was proposed and identified for release as Desmanthus CO 2 for general cultivation throughout India.

The challenges of developing resilient perennial pastures for a Mediterranean environment – a review for Western Australia

Perennial pastures are the dominant feedbase in many regions of the world, and offer several advantages when compared with an annual pasture system. In Western Australia (WA) there has been a concerted effort over seven decades to develop new perennial pasture options and expand the adoption of suitable species. The agricultural region of WA (i.e. south-western Australia) is characterised by a Mediterranean climate where the 5–7 month summer drought has proved a considerable challenge with only a small number of the many promising species being adopted commercially. Research, development, and extension have covered a wide range of herbaceous perennial legumes, leguminous and native shrubs, herbs, and temperate and warm season grasses. This paper reviews the literature to determine whether a perennial pasture must satisfy the following criteria to be successful and widely adopted in south-western Australia: (i) sourced from a similar Mediterranean environment and adapted to the target soils; (ii) have a relative advantage over the annual-based system it replaces; (iii) a robust management package; and (iv) a viable seed supply. The findings of this review highlight that perennial pastures must indeed satisfy multiple criteria to be commercially successful. Notably, the requirement for the source of the germplasm to have a good match between climate and soils is less clear because some of the commercially successful species come from diverse environments. We conclude with some key learnings for future perennial pasture development as climate change intensifies the research challenge and the drive for producers to adapt.

Selection of Reference Genes for qRT-PCR Analysis in Medicinal Plant Glycyrrhiza under Abiotic Stresses and Hormonal Treatments.

Best known as licorice, Glycyrrhiza Linn., a genus of herbaceous perennial legume, has been used as a traditional herbal medicine in Asia and a flavoring agent for tobacco and food industry in Europe and America. Abiotic stresses and hormonal treatments can significantly impact the development and metabolism of secondary metabolites in Glycyrrhiza. To better understand the biosynthesis of the trace-amount bioactive compounds, we first screened for the suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis in Glycyrrhiza. The expression profiles of 14 candidate reference genes, including Actin1 (ACT), Clathrin complex AP1 (CAC), Cyclophilin (CYP), Heat-shock protein 40 (DNAJ), Dehydration responsive element binding gene (DREB), Translation elongation factor1 (EF1), Ras related protein (RAN), Translation initiation factor (TIF1), β-Tubulin (TUB), Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 (UBC2), ATP binding-box transpoter 2 (ABCC2), COP9 signal compex subunit 3 (COPS3), Citrate synthase (CS), and R3H domain protein 2 (R3HDM2) from two congeneric species, Glycyrrhiza uralensis F. and Glycyrrhiza inflata B., were examined under abiotic stresses (osmotic and salinity) and hormonal treatments (Abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA)) using a panel of software, including geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and Delta CT. The overall stability, however, was provided by RefFinder, a comprehensive ranking system integrating inputs from all four algorithms. In G. uralensis, the most stable reference genes under osmotic stress, salt stress, ABA treatment, and MeJA treatment were TIF1, DNAJ, CS, and ABCC2 for leaves and DNAJ, DREB, CAC, and CAC for roots, respectively. In comparison, the top ranked genes were TUB, CAC, UBC2, and RAN for leaves and TIF1, ABCC2, CAC, and UBC2 for roots, respectively, under stress and hormonal treatments in G. inflata. ACT and TIF1, on the other hand, were the least stable genes under the most experimental conditions in the two congeneric species. Finally, our survey of the reference genes in legume shows that EF, ACT, UBC2, and TUB were the top choices for the abiotic stresses while EF, UBC2, CAC, and ABCC2 were recommended for the hormonal treatments in Leguminosae. Our combined results provide reliable normalizers for accurate gene quantifications in Glycyrrhiza species, which will allow us to exploit its medicinal potential in general and antiviral activities in particular.

Insights into the evolution of symbiosis gene copy number and distribution from a chromosome-scale Lotus japonicus Gifu genome sequence.

Lotus japonicus is a herbaceous perennial legume that has been used extensively as a genetically tractable model system for deciphering the molecular genetics of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our aim is to improve the L. japonicus reference genome sequence, which has so far been based on Sanger and Illumina sequencing reads from the L. japonicus accession MG-20 and contained a large fraction of unanchored contigs. Here, we use long PacBio reads from L. japonicus Gifu combined with Hi-C data and new high-density genetic maps to generate a high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome assembly for L. japonicus. The assembly comprises 554 megabases of which 549 were assigned to six pseudomolecules that appear complete with telomeric repeats at their extremes and large centromeric regions with low gene density. The new L. japonicus Gifu reference genome and associated expression data represent valuable resources for legume functional and comparative genomics. Here, we provide a first example by showing that the symbiotic islands recently described in Medicago truncatula do not appear to be conserved in L. japonicus.

Comparative Analysis of Early Life Stage Traits in Annual and Perennial Phaseolus Crops and Their Wild Relatives.

Herbaceous perennial species are receiving increased attention for their potential to provide both edible products and ecosystem services in agricultural systems. Many legumes (Fabaceae Lindl.) are of special interest due to nitrogen fixation carried out by bacteria in their roots and their production of protein-rich, edible seeds. However, herbaceous perennial legumes have yet to enter widespread use as pulse crops, and the response of wild, herbaceous perennial species to artificial selection for increased seed yield remains under investigation. Here we compare cultivated and wild accessions of congeneric annual and herbaceous perennial legume species to investigate associations of lifespan and cultivation with early life stage traits including seed size, germination, and first year vegetative growth patterns, and to assess variation and covariation in these traits. We use “cultivated” to describe accessions with a history of human planting and use, which encompasses a continuum of domestication. Analyses focused on three annual and four perennial species of the economically important genus Phaseolus. We found a significant association of both lifespan and cultivation status with seed size (weight, two-dimensional lateral area, length), node number, and most biomass traits (with cultivation alone showing additional significant associations). Wild annual and perennial accessions primarily showed only slight differences in trait values. Relative to wild forms, both cultivated annual and cultivated perennial accessions exhibited greater seed size and larger overall vegetative size, with cultivated perennials showing greater mean trait differences relative to wild accessions than cultivated annuals. Germination proportion was significantly lower in cultivated relative to wild annual accessions, while no significant difference was observed between cultivated and wild perennial germination. Regardless of lifespan and cultivation status, seed size traits were positively correlated with most vegetative traits, and all biomass traits examined here were positively correlated. This study highlights some fundamental similarities and differences between annual and herbaceous perennial legumes and provides insights into how perennial legumes might respond to artificial selection compared to annual species.

Forage options to sustainably intensify smallholder farming systems on tropical sandy soils. A review

Intensifying livestock production by integrating perennial forages has great potential to contribute to sustainable development and livelihoods in the Mekong region. However, the approach taken must be informed by the environmental, social, and cultural context of the region. Accordingly, we review published research papers and reports from relevant research for development projects to identify options for sustainably integrating forages into farming systems, with a focus on sand-dominant soils of southern Laos and Cambodia. First, we examine existing livestock management practices to determine the compatibility of forages as an option to intensify livestock production. Second, we review the environmental properties of rainfed lowland rice systems with sandy soils and their implications for forage growing. Third, we identify and compare the suitability of existing forage genetics that is adapted to these environmental properties. Fourth, we propose adapted varieties, outline appropriate management options, and discuss the sustainable engagement of smallholders in the production of forages. The key findings are as follows: (1) Forages appear compatible with the sociocultural properties of smallholder farming systems in southern Laos and Cambodia because there is an awareness of existing limitations to livestock production, widespread desire to possess livestock for cultural reasons, and mounting pressure to improve the productivity of grazing areas and the efficiency of labor. (2) The limiting properties of the environment are drought, soil acidity, flooding, and soil infertility, which must be addressed in the selection and management of forage genetics. (3) Broadly adapted perennial tropical grasses and herbaceous legumes exist, but these are unlikely to thrive in lowland ecosystems of southern Laos and Cambodia that are prone to both annual flooding and drought. (4) Variations in surface hydrology at the farm scale often result in differentiated environments suitable for differing varieties. Brachiaria sp. hybrid “Mulato II,” Panicum maximum, and Stylosanthes guianensis are recommended for drought-prone, acidic sands that are safe from prolonged submergence and would require the least additional management, whilst Paspalum atratum is recommended for low-lying areas with access to irrigation. (5) The transition to perennial forage integration appears to be accessible to farmers and can allow them to rapidly accumulate benefits in terms of saved labor; however, efforts to intensify animal production have been slow and must contend with multiple challenges: poor understanding of animal husbandry and health, cultural views relating to the role of animals in production systems, and poor access to forage and livestock services. These must all be addressed if sustainably intensified animal production is to be achieved in these and similar regions.

Neuroprotective Efficacy of Clitoria Ternacea Root Extract on Hippocampal CA3 Neurons – A Quantitative Study in Mice

Abstract Clitoria ternatea is a vigorous, herbaceous perennial legume that belongs to the Fabaceae family. All parts of the plant are used in the preparations of Ayurvedic drugs. It is an astringent, an aphrodisiac, a rejuvenator, and a brain tonic. It also has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic properties. Baidyanath Shankapushpi, which contains extracts of herbs such as C. ternatea, Bacopa monnieri, Withania somnifera and Asparagus racemosus, is clinically administered for memory improvement, blood purification and to improve digestion. However, its neuroprotective effect has not been reported so far. In the present study, the neuroprotective effect of C. ternatea root (CTR) extract on hippocampal CA3 neurons was investigated. Three-month-old albino mice were divided into four groups. Group I was the normal control, group II was the saline control, group III was the stress group, and group IV was the stress + CTR-treated group. Group-III mice were stressed in a wire mesh restrainer for 6 hours/day for 6 weeks. Grou-IV mice were also stressed like group III, but received CTR extract orally throughout the stress period. After 6 weeks, their brain was removed, and their hippocampi were dissected and processed for Golgi staining. The hippocampal neurons were traced using a camera lucida focused at 400x magnification. The Sholl concentric circle method was used to quantify the dendrites. The results showed a decrease in the number of dendritic branching points and of dendritic intersections in the stressed group. On the other hand, there was an increase in the number of dendritic branching points and of dendritic intersections of hippocampal CA3 neurons in group IV, which was subjected to restraint stress and was treated with the CTR extract. The results showed that the oral administration of CTR significantly increased the dendritic branching points and the dendritic intersections of hippocampal CA3 neurons.

Production and economic viability of banana managed with cover crops

ABSTRACT This research aimed to evaluate the yield and economic viability of three crop cycles of the banana cv. ‘Prata Anã’ in association with perennial herbaceous legumes, natural vegetation, or compared with the conventional management. The research was conducted using a complete randomized block design with split-split plots and four replicates. The plots were formed by four irrigation depths: 50, 75, 100 and 125% of crop evapotranspiration, and the subplots by cover crops (Calopogonium muconoides, Pueraria phaseoloides, and natural cover without N addition) or no cover crops with addition of N fertilization (conventional management). The subsubplots were formed by the second, third and fourth banana production cycles. Yield and economic viability of the cultivation were estimated for a period of seven years. The conventional management promoted greater yield and economic viability in the cultivation of ‘Prata Anã’ banana, due to the N fertilization. Managements with leguminous cover crops were also economically viable, but they should be investigated in combination with N fertilization and compared with the conventional method.

Ecology and Conservation of the Endangered LegumeCrotalaria avonensisin Florida Scrub

We collected data from 1998 to 2014 to describe the ecology of the highly endangered Florida scrub plant Crotalaria avonensis (Avon Park Harebells), and herein address several hypotheses based on what was known of its biology and the biology of co-occurring species. This perennial herbaceous legume occurs at 3 sites and prefers microsites with more cover by bare sand than vegetation. The population at an unprotected site has declined in size, but dynamics have been more stable at the 2 protected sites. Marked plants have shown high survival, slow and inconsistent growth, and occasional plant dormancy (usually 1–2 years). Avon Park Harebells is reproductively challenged, with very low rates of fruit set and infrequent visitation by required pollinators. The hardseeded fruits germinated at a rate of 13–56%; the germination speed seemed to increase after scarification, though the overall rate was less than for unscarified seeds. Unscarified seeds remained viable in the seed bank for at least 3 years. Seedlings recruited rarely, had moderate survival, began flowering at 4 years of age or later, and reached the size of median adult plants in 6–8 years. Herbivores affected 7–53% of plants in a given year, but plants showed rapid compensatory resprouting. Caging plants reduced herbivory and increased survival, growth, and flowering. Plants resprouted after fire and mechanical disturbance and exhibited high survival and growth, but repeated disturbances by vehicles caused increased mortality. Avon Park Harebells remains extremely endangered due to its limited range, small population sizes, and poor seedling recruitment. To help this species recover, we recommend fire management, protection from herbivory, introductions and augmentations, and further study of its pollination biology.

Temperature and humidity of soil covered with perennial herbaceous legumes in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Agricultural sustainability of areas in semiarid region, is directly related to soil management, emphasizing especially the continuous coverage strategy. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of perennial legumes on soil coverage, temperature and moisture in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study used a randomized blocks experimental, with 9 m 2 , design and treatments consisted of bare soil cultivated with the following legumes: tropical kudzu ( Pueraria phaseoloides ), calopo ( Calopogonium mucunoides ), perennial peanut ( Arachis pintoi ), perennial soybean ( Glycine wightii ) and stylosanthes Campo Grande (mixture of Stylosanthes capitata and Stylosanthes macrocephala ), with four replications. Soil coverage, temperature and moisture rates were evaluated. Due to the soil protection provided by the biomass production, the use and management of cover plants in semiarid region of Minas Gerais contributed to the temperature reduction and to the conservation of soil moisture, both essential for the agricultural production in this region. Calopo, tropical kudzu and perennial peanut provided greater soil coverage and, consequently, they provided greater reduction in temperature and higher moisture retention in soil. In more advanced stages of the cycle, the perennial soybean also provided good soil coverage, temperature reduction and moisture retention in the soil.

Stoichiometric Characteristics of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Leaves of Differently Aged Lucerne (Medicago sativa) Stands.

Element concentration within a plant which is vital to function maintenance and adaptation to environment, may change with plant growth. However, how carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) vary stoichiometrically with stand growth, i.e., ages or cuts, was still untouched in perennial species. This study tested the hypothesis that lucerne (Medicago sativa) C:N, C:P, and N:P should change with stand age and cut. Leaf C:N, C:P, and N:P changed with stand age, showing various trends in different cuts of lucerne. Generally the greatest stoichiometric ratios were measured in 8 year stand and in the second cut. They were affected significantly and negatively by total N and P concentrations of leaf, but not by organic C concentration. There were significantly positive correlations among leaf C:N, C:P, and N:P. However, leaf C:N, C:P, and N:P were hardly affected by soil features. Conclusively, lucerne C, N, and P stoichiometry are age- and cut-specific, and regulated mainly by leaf N, P concentrations and stoichiometry. There are few correlations with soil fertility. To our knowledge, it is the first try to elucidate the stoichiometry in the viewpoint of age and cut with a perennial herbaceous legume.

A phyto-pharmacological review onClitoria ternatea L.

The medicinal plants find application in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural and food industry. The use of the medicinal herbs for curing disease has been documented in history of all civilizations. With the onset of research in medicine, it was concluded that plants contain active principles, which are responsible, for curative action of the herbs. Clitoria ternatea L. is a vigorous, strongly persistent, herbaceous perennial legume. Almost all parts of this plant are reported to have medicinal properties. The plant has been used traditionally to treat infertility, worm infestation, skin diseases, tonsillitis, cough, asthma etc. It is reported to be appetizer, digestant and vermicide. Many of the medicinal values are evaluated by different workers such as Anthelmintic, Anti hyperglycemic, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-diarrheal, Anti-oxidant, hepatoprotective, Immunomodulatory, Anti-histamic, cholinergic activity.

Immunomodulatory and antioxidative properties of Clitoria ternatea

The immune system is a remarkably versatile defense system that has evolved to protect animals from invading pathogenic micro-organisms and to eliminate disease. Immunostimulation is required when host defense mechanism has to be activated under the conditions of impaired immune response or when a selective immunosuppression is desired in situations like autoimmune disorders. ROS is also involved to regulate immune system and significantly affect immunomodulation. Allophatic drugs as immunomodulators show various side effects but situation is differ for medicinal immunmodulators. Clitoria ternatea , vigorous, strongly persistent, herbaceous perennial legume, show significant immunomodulatory activity and antioxidative properties and can be used commercial with no side effect to replace Allophatic drugs.

Diversifying selection by Desmodiinae legume species on Bradyrhizobium symbionts.

Desmodium and Hylodesmum (Papilionoideae Subtribe Desmodiinae) are among the most common herbaceous perennial legumes native to eastern North America. To analyze the population structure of their Bradyrhizobium sp. root-nodule bacteria, 159 isolates were sampled from ten host species across a 1000 km region. Phylogenetic analysis of four housekeeping loci (2164 bp) and two loci in the symbiosis island (SI) chromosomal region (1374 bp) indicated extensive overlap in symbiont utilization, with each common bacterial clade found on 2-7 species of these legume genera. However, host species differed considerably in the relative proportion of symbionts belonging to different Bradyrhizobium clades. High phylogenetic incongruence between trees for housekeeping loci and SI loci suggested that diversification of these Bradyrhizobium lineages involved substantial horizontal gene transfer. Plant inoculation with strains from six Bradyrhizobium clades revealed marked disparity in relative bacterial reproductive success across four Desmodium species. Estimated yield of Bradyrhizobium progeny cells per plant ranged from zero to >10(9), and strains with high fitness on one host sometimes reproduced poorly on other host species. Diversifying selection on bacteria, arising from differential success in habitats with different Desmodium and Hylodesmum taxa, is therefore likely to affect Bradyrhizobium diversity patterns at the landscape level.