Varietal variation and yield trials of Leucaena leucocephala (koa haole) in Hawaii.

Abstract

Observations of 104 strains of several Leucaena species, including 90 of L. leucocephala, showed that genetic variation in L. leucocephala was largely quantitative and was evident for response to day length, habit, leaf characters, pod length, pubescence, seed number and size, and mimosine content. Data are tabulated on height, habit, frequency of flowering and mimosine content. Genetic variation was prominent only among Central American lines. A drought-tolerant, highly branched, abundantly flowering, shrubby Hawaiian type and an erect, sporadically flowering Salvador type with large leaves, pods and seeds could be distinguished. In yield trials of 70 varieties of L. leucocephala for forage, K8, K28 and K67, all of the Salvador type, were the best. They gave higher yields than the local Hawaiian type but had similar mimosine contents. Only Colombian varieties had low mimosine contents.