Date of Award:

5-2016

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Plants, Soils, and Climate

Department name when degree awarded

Plant Soil and Climate Science

Committee Chair(s)

David J. Hole

Committee

David J. Hole

Committee

B. Shaun Bushman

Committee

Douglas A. Johnson

Abstract

This thesis project explored the production and forage quality characteristics of Utah lotus (Lotus utahensis Ottley) and scrub lotus (L. wrightii (A. Gray) Greene) seed collections during a two-year period. The variation of 14 Utah lotus and five scrub lotus seed collections was evaluated by measuring important plant characteristics at three common garden sites in northern Utah. In addition, the genetic structure of the collections was determined by molecular biological techniques. Large variation was observed among collections for all phenotypic traits measured, with Utah lotus and scrub lotus being phenotypically quite different. Two collections of Utah lotus (LU-5 and LU-20) were among the top-tier collections for important plant characteristics, including dry-matter yield, pod production, number of stems, canopy height, and plant survival. Results of the molecular biological studies indicated that the farther apart the collection, the greater the collections differed genetically and phenotypically. However, both genetic and phenotypic evaluations showed little evidence to support local adaptation. A pooled seed source of Utah lotus containing LU-5 and LU-20 could be developed for rangeland restoration and revegetation in the southern Great Basin.

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