Carbohydrate composition of four legume species grown in Lincoln: A report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of B.Sc. (Hons) in the University of Canterbury

Abstract

The carbohydrate contents of four species of leguminous forage plants grown in Lincoln, Canterbury, were determined. They are the white clover (Trifolium repens, "Grasslands Huia") and red clover (Trifolium pratense, "Grasslands 4706"), belonging to the genus Trifolium, and two species of Lotus pedunculatus, "Grasslands 4705" and "Grasslands 4703". The most important role of these legumes is their ability to utilise the nitrogen of the air indirectly through the agency of a species of bacteria called Pseudomonas radicicola. The plants and the.bacteria exhibit a "partnership" termed symbiosis. Therefore, the legumes are not directly dependent on soil nitrogen for growth.