INVESTIGATIONS RELATIVE TO THE BREEDING OF COUMARIN-FREE SWEET CLOVER, MELILOTUS

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Abstract
A series of studies was made upon the coumarin content of various species, varieties and individual plants of sweet clover (Melilotus), determinations being made from different parts of the plant, at different stages of growth, and upon herbage dried by different methods. The conclusions drawn from the results of these studies may be summarized as follows:— (1) Coumarin content of the leaf and stem of sweet clover changes rapidly throughout the various stages of growth. (2) Wide variations in coumarin content exist between different species, between different varieties within a species and often between different individuals within a variety. (3) There is a marked relation between color of leaf and coumarin content. Plants possessing dark-colored foliage have invariably tested higher in coumarin content than those with foliage of lighter color. (4) The Alpha variety possesses a lower coumarin content than any other variety of M. albus tested. (5) The species, Melilotus dentatus, used in these tests, contained less than 0.01% of coumarin in the foliage and less than 0.05% in the mature seeds. For all practical purposes it may be regarded as coumarin-free. (6) Air drying or oven drying of sweet clover results in a heavy loss of coumarin from the leaves and marked changes in the coumarin content of the stems. (7) There is a definite correlation between the coumarin content of the leaf and of the mature seed in the materials used. (8) The coumarin content of the mature seed provides a reliable estimate of the coumarin content of the leaf of the plant. (9) Breeding results indicate the possibility of producing low coumarin varieties through inbreeding and selection.

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