Biomass and Quercetin Accumulation Predict Drought Sensitivity in a Novel White Clover Hybrid

Previous research showed that levels of the flavonol quercetin (Q) were positively associated with UV stress resistance in populations of white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and inversely linked to dry matter (DM) production (Hofmann et al, 2000). Q, and to a lesser degree its precursor kaempferol (K), have been implicated as antioxidants and energy dissipating compounds in plants exposed to stress, and could be useful markers for resistance to other stress factors. This study used a novel white clover hybrid of the productive cultivar Kopu II and of the stress-resistant population Tienshan to examine whether these relationships also hold under drought on a genotype level for germplasm development in future breeding trials.