Problems in breeding low-mimosine types in the genus Leucaena.

Abstract

In L. leucocephala cv. Cunningham, the mimosine content varied little about the mean of 11.34%, either within or between years. Among lines of 4 other Leucaena species, low mimosine content was found solely in L. pulverulenta. In the F₂, F₃ and F₄ from the cross L. pulverulenta × Cunningham, the ranges of mimosine content in vigorous trees were 4.6-14.4%, 4.5-15.8% and 5.8-11.6% respectively. By the F₄, the number of vigorous trees with low mimosine content had fallen to 2. This change was associated with the tendency for the chromosome number to fall, in successive hybrid generations, towards that of Cunningham.