PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS OF REPRODUCING THE WILD LONG–RHIZOME MORPHOTYPE OF MEDICAGO FALCATA L. UNDER CULTIVATION

Morphology, nitrogen-fixing activity and seed productivity of the introduced wild long-rhizome yellow alfalfa (Medicago falcata L.) under exogenous treatment with microbial preparations and phytohormone (homobrassinolide) were studied in field experiments. It was revealed that growth activators increase seed productivity and nitrogen-fixing activity in the cultivated taproot alfalfa type and, on the whole, have no effect on metabolism in the long-rhizome morphotype plants. To solve the problem it is necessary to develop Rhizobium preparations increasing nitrogen-fixing activity of the long-rhizome alfalfa plants on the basis of natural isolates and the use of phytohormones with due regard to the peculiarities of the ontogenesis of the long-rhizome M. falcata morphotype.