| Popis: |
The forage value of several of the species occurring in saline soils of the southernmost portion of the American Chaco and particularly their genetic variability has been recognized by breeders from many countries. Such recognition is confirmed by the fact that accessions of these species are conserved in international germplasm banks specialized in exploration, collection, and conservation of forage species. However, these species have received scant attention in Argentina and scarce germplasm is conserved in local banks. The study of these species for the purposes of breeding and incorporation into agricultural systems is a hard and often discouraging task. Fundamental basic knowledge necessary for breeding programs, such as flowering phenology, mode of reproduction, quantity and quality of produced seeds, presence or absence of seed dormancy, and seedling establishment, is lacking for most of the species. This chapter provides a list of native and naturalized forage species that should be given priority for incorporation into agricultural systems and discusses essential aspects to be considered for such aim. It then reports on experiences that have clearly demonstrated the feasibility of successfully incorporating wild forage species to cultivation. |
