Comprehensive Assessment of Alfalfa Aluminum Stress Resistance Using Growth and Physiological Trait Analysis

Nannan Tang, Xiangming Zeng, Jizhi Wei, Zhou Li, Xuechun Zhao, Jihui Chen, Xinyao Gu, Chao Chen and Rui Dong ()
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Nannan Tang: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Xiangming Zeng: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Jizhi Wei: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Zhou Li: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Xuechun Zhao: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Jihui Chen: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Xinyao Gu: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Chao Chen: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Rui Dong: College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-31

Abstract: Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) is an important perennial leguminous forage; however, its high sensitivity to aluminum (Al) stress severely restricts its cultivation in regions with acidic soil. Therefore, this study conducted an integrated assessment of Al stress tolerance by performing systematic evaluations of 11 growth and physiological parameters across 30 alfalfa cultivars under Al stress, and calculated the Al tolerance coefficients based on these parameters. The results revealed that Al stress markedly inhibited root growth and biomass accumulation in alfalfa, thereby triggering increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content in roots across most cultivars, the scope of increase is 0.19–183.07%. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) increased by 7.50–121.44%, 2.50–135.89%, and 3.84–70.01%, respectively. Based on the comprehensive evaluation value ( D ) obtained via principal component analysis and membership function, the 30 alfalfa cultivars were categorized into four distinct groups: 4 highly Al-tolerant cultivars, 11 moderately high-Al-tolerant cultivars, 9 moderately low-Al-tolerant cultivars, and 6 low-Al-tolerant cultivars. Stepwise linear regression analysis identified root elongation rate, root-to-shoot ratio, root volume, SOD, MDA, CAT, root dry weight, POD, and root length as pivotal indicators for predicting and evaluating Al stress tolerance in alfalfa cultivars. The qRT-PCR analysis showed dynamic changes in ABC transporter gene expression in alfalfa roots over time under aluminum stress. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluated Al tolerance by systematically investigating the morphophysiological effects of Al stress across 30 alfalfa cultivars using principal component analysis (PCA), membership function, and hierarchical clustering analysis. It provides a practical solution for expanding alfalfa planting in acid soil and improving feed production in acidic environments.

Keywords: alfalfa; aluminum stress; malondialdehyde; antioxidant enzyme activity; comprehensive evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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