Acid-Soil and Psyllid Tolerance of Interspecific Hybrids of Leucaena in Malaysia

• Main Author: Vadiveloo, J. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies 1998
• Subjects: Acid Soil; Hybrids; Leucaena; Leucaena diversifolia; Leucaena leucocephala; Leucocephala; Leucocephala leucocephala; Psyllid Tolerance; Psyllidae
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus

 Seven hybrid lines of Leucaena leucocephala × L. diversifolia and two control lines of L. leucocephala were compared for their adaptation to acid-soils and tolerance to damage by the psyllid, Heteropsyla cubana, at four locations over two years in Peninsular Malaysia. Primary data on leaf composition and in vitro digestibility (nutrition variables) and secondary data on plant height, stem girth and psyllid damage (agronomy variables) were the measures of performance. Cluster solutions of the nine lines were different within locations, between locations and between years for nutrition and agronomy variables. Controls and hybrids did not cluster separately. Principal component scores of the nine lines gave rank orders which were different by location and by year. No performance trend could be detected between hybrids and controls. The conclusion is that nutritional and agronomic characteristics in Leucaena are independent, soil composition and weather did not consistently affect performance, and evidence is inconclusive as to the benefits of interspecific crossing with L. diversifolia.