关键词: 苜蓿 生产力 水分利用 水分利用效率 抗旱性 耐旱性

Abstract:

Alfalfa（Medicago sativa） has a long cultivation history in China. Up to now, its extension is still slow, although it has been sparkplugged for a long period of time. One of the important reasons is lacking a full understand about its adaptation to stress environment. In this paper, alfalfa＇s productivity, water consumption rule and adaptation to arid conditions in semi-arid and semi-humid regions were discussed. The paper poinnts out that its characteristics of high water consumption and the low water efficiency may lead to productivity change and limitation in regional development. On the basis of our experiments and other researchers＇ work, this paper raises several suggestions for the further development of alfalfa production in northen China.

Key words: alfalfa , productivity , water utilization , water use efficiency , drought resistance , drought tolerance