The effect of row spacing on alfalfa seed and forage production under irrigated Mediterranean agricultural conditions

We evaluated the effect of row spacing on seed and forage yields in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) using combined seed and forage production plots, in an irrigated Mediterranean agricultural environment. We compared three row distances (20, 40 and 60 cm) in two cultivars at a seed rate of 25 kg ha^?1 over a period of 4 years. We measured the seed yield and yield components as well as forage production. The 4‐year average revealed an overall clean seed yield of 367 kg ha^?1 declining over time, without significant differences in row distances. The number of shoots per square metre differed significantly as a function of row spacing, with averages of 357, 226 and 172 shoots m^?2 for row widths of 20, 40 and 60 cm respectively. The row spacing did not affect the number of racemes per shoot (23·1), the number of pods per raceme (7·2), the number of seeds per pod (6·5) or the thousand seed weight (1·667 g). The average forage production was 20·1, 18·5 and 17·9 Mg DM ha^?1 for row distances of 20, 40 and 60 cm, respectively, with higher yields associated with smaller row distances. Our data demonstrate that row spacing >20 cm does not confer any advantage to the production of alfalfa seed under irrigated Mediterranean agricultural conditions and that close spacing can significantly increase forage yields in the same environment.     

Seed variation among annual ryegrass cultivars in south-eastern USA and the relationship with seedling vigour and forage production

Abstract Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is grown on more than one million ha in the south‐eastern USA each year. Recommended and actual seeding rates vary substantially within the region. The objective of this study was to evaluate variation in seed weight, germination, seedling vigour and seasonal yield performance among annual ryegrass cultivars. During 1997, 1998 and 1999, seed from fourteen commercial cultivars was weighed and germinated to determine numbers of pure live seed (PLS) m^?2 before yield evaluation at four locations. Seed from ten cultivars was planted at 0·7 and 2·0 cm depth in a greenhouse study to evaluate relative seedling vigour. Cultivar mean single‐seed weight ranged from 2·4 to 4·8 mg in 1997, 1·8 to 4·5 mg in 1998, and 2·6 to 4·6 mg in 1999. Seed germination ranged from 78·8% to 98·0% in 1997, 82·3 to 98·3% in 1998 and 77·8 to 98·3% in 1999. Seed number, PLS m^?2, ranged from 675 to 1289 in 1997, 710 to 1550 in 1998, and 717 to 1179 in 1999. Among the ten cultivars evaluated for seedling vigour, seedling weight differed between planting depths and a significant cultivar by year interaction was observed. Seedling weight was highly correlated with seed weight at each seeding depth. The effect of increasing number of PLS m^?2 on subsequent yield performance, although small, was consistently negative. These results indicate that target plant populations may be obtained more economically by adjusting seeding rates for seed size differences among cultivars and seed lots of annual ryegrass.     

Genetic analysis of seed‐related traits in smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) under well‐watered and water‐stressed conditions

In forage grasses, knowledge about the genetic basis of seed production and its association with related traits under water stress is very limited. Half‐sib families derived from the polycross of twenty five smooth bromegrass genotypes were evaluated in the field in well‐watered and water‐stressed environments during 2012 and 2013. Results showed that drought stress had a negative effect on seed yield and reduced phenotypic variation for seed yield and agro‐morphological traits. High genotypic variation was observed among families for seed yield and its components. Narrow‐sense heritabilities (h²) ranged from 0·22 (flag leaf weight) to 0·81 (days to anthesis). These moderate‐to‐high heritability estimates for seed yield and its components indicate that phenotypic selection can be successful to achieve genetic progress for these traits. Seed yield had a positive correlation with 1000‐seed weight, number of ears per plant, number of seeds per panicle, seed weight per panicle and panicle length.     

Evaluation of the GrazeIn model of grass dry‐matter intake and milk production prediction for dairy cows in temperate grass‐based production systems. 1–Sward characteristics and grazing management factors

This study evaluated the prediction accuracy of grass dry‐matter intake (GDMI) and milk yield predicted by the model GrazeIn using a database representing 522 grazing herds. The GrazeIn input variables under consideration were fill value (FV), grass energy content [Unité Fourragère Lait (UFL)], grass protein value [true protein absorbable in the small intestine when rumen fermen energy is limiting microbial protein synthesis in the rumen (PDIE)], pre‐grazing herbage mass (PGHM), daily herbage allowance (DHA) and concentrate supplementation. GrazeIn was evaluated using the relative prediction error (RPE). The mean actual GDMI and milk yields of grazing herds in the database ranged from 9·9–22·0 kg DM per cow d^?1 and 8·9–41·8 kg per cow d^?1, respectively. The accuracy of predictions for the total database estimated by RPE was 12·2 and 12·8% for GDMI and milk yield, respectively. The mean bias (predicted minus actual) for GDMI was ?0·3 kg DM per cow d^?1 and for milk yield was +0·9 kg per cow d^?1. GrazeIn predicted GDMI with a level of error <13·4% RPE for spring, summer and autumn. GrazeIn predicted milk yield in autumn (RPE = 17·6%) with a larger error in comparison with spring (RPE = 10·4%) and summer (RPE = 11·0%). Future studies should focus on the adaptation of GrazeIn to correct and improve the prediction of milk yield in autumn.     

‘MaxClover’ grazing experiment: I. Annual yields,botanical composition and growth rates of six dryland pastures over nine years

Six dryland pastures were established at Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand, in February 2002. Production and persistence of cocksfoot pastures established with subterranean, balansa, white or Caucasian clovers, and a perennial ryegrass‐white clover control and a lucerne monoculture were monitored for nine years. Total annual dry‐matter (10.0–18·5 t DM ha^?1) and sown legume yields from the lucerne monoculture exceeded those from the grass‐based pastures in all but one year. The lowest lucerne yield (10 t ha^?1 yr^?1) occurred in Year 4, when spring snow caused ungrazed lucerne to lodge and senesce. Cocksfoot with subterranean clover was the most productive grass‐based pasture. Yields were 8·7–13·0 t DM ha^?1 annually. Subterranean clover yields were 2·4–3·7 t ha^?1 in six of the nine years which represented 26–32% of total annual production. In all cocksfoot‐based pastures, the contribution of sown pasture components decreased at a rate equivalent to 3·3 ± 0·05% per year (R² = 0·83) and sown components accounted for 65% of total yield in Year 9. In contrast, sown components represented only 13% of total yield in the ryegrass‐white clover pastures in Year 9, and their contribution declined at 10·1 ± 0·9% per year (R² = 0·94). By Year 9, 79% of the 6.6 t ha^?1 produced from the ryegrass‐white clover pasture was from unsown species and 7% was dead material. For maximum production and persistence, dryland farmers on 450–780 mm yr^?1 rainfall should grow lucerne or cocksfoot‐subterranean clover pastures in preference to ryegrass and white clover. Inclusion of white clover as a secondary legume component to sub clover would offer opportunities to respond to unpredictable summer rainfall after sub clover has set seed.     

Seed growth of three perennial ryegrass cultivars sown on two dates and treated with trinexapac ethyl straw shortener

First‐year crops of diploid perennial ryegrass (cvs. Meridian, Bronsyn and Grasslands Impact) were sown on 1 April and 14 May 2008. Applications of trinexapac ethyl (TE) plant growth regulator at 0, 200 and 400 g a.i. ha^?1 were used to shorten stems to examine the impact of seed growth. Seed filling followed a consistent sigmoidal growth pattern with a lag phase of 127°C days, and linear duration of 390°C days. Time to 95% of final seed weight was 517°C days. Seed yield increases from TE were from higher numbers of first‐grade seeds m^?2, achieved by a higher rate of seed filling during the linear phase of 0·115 mg per °C day per spike. For all cultivars, the maximum stem dry weight occurred at 310–400°C days post‐anthesis, which suggest the stem was a strong sink. As seeds developed, their demand for assimilate increased and they drew more from the stem. At harvest, stem weights from TE treatments were 25% heavier than at anthesis, while untreated ‘Bronsyn’ and ‘Grasslands Impact’ stems were similar to those at anthesis. Thus, stems treated with TE contributed assimilates to increase seed yield but were still a net sink with assimilates in the stem at harvest. Trinexapac ethyl rate induced an inverse relationship between seed yield and stem height. This showed that competition for assimilate between stems and growing seeds limited the seed yield. Management or genetic factors that reduce stem height are likely to increase seed yields of perennial ryegrass.     

Evaluation of the GrazeIn model of grass dry‐matter intake and milk production prediction for dairy cows in temperate grass‐based production systems. 2 – Animal characteristics

This study evaluated the prediction accuracy of grass dry‐matter intake (GDMI) and milk yield predicted by the GrazeIn model using a large database representing 8787 per cow GDMI measurements. In this study, the animal input variables (age, parity, week of lactation, potential peak milk yield, milk fat content, milk protein content, bodyweight, body condition score (BCS), week of conception, BCS at calving and calf birth weight) were investigated. The mean actual GDMI of the database was 15·9 kg DM per cow d^?1 and GrazeIn predicted a mean GDMI for the database of 15·5 kg DM per cow d^?1. The mean bias was ?0·4 kg DM per cow d^?1. GrazeIn predicted GDMI for the total database with an RPE of 15·5% at cow level. The mean actual daily milk yield of the database was 21·3 kg per cow d^?1 and GrazeIn predicted a daily milk yield for the database of 22·2 kg per cow d^?1. The mean bias was +0·9 kg per cow d^?1. GrazeIn predicted milk yield for the total database with an RPE of 16·7% at cow level. From the evaluation, GrazeIn predicted milk yield of all cows in late lactation with a larger level of error than in early and mid‐lactation. This error appears to be due to the persistency of the lactation curve used by the model, which results in a higher predicted milk yield in late lactation compared with the actual milk yield.     

Phosphorus efficiency of naturalized Chilean white clover in a grazed field trial

Nine naturalized white clover populations and two cultivars (Huia and Will) were evaluated at two soil phosphorus ( P ) levels (6 and 20 P mg kg^?1) to characterize them for DM production and P efficiency, and to facilitate the selection of suitable genotypes to produce cultivars for P‐deficient marginal soils. The study was carried out in Chile during 2007–2010 under field grazing conditions using a randomized complete factorial block design with three replicates. The clover was grown with perennial ryegrass. Botanical composition and herbage DM production were recorded, phosphorus concentrations in soil and in clover and ryegrass herbage were determined, and P absorption (PAE) and P utilization (PUE) efficiency were calculated. Population 8‐1‐X yielded more DM under the low than under the high soil‐ P level and was the highest yielding clover in the low soil‐ P treatment. It also had the highest PAE (0·6 kg P ha^?1 per mg kg^?1 Olsen P) under low P availability. Dry‐matter yield of 9‐2‐X was statistically similar to 8‐1‐X and Huia at low P level; however, because of its lower P absorption, it had the highest PUE (455 kg DM ha^?1 per kg ha^?1 absorbed P). Furthermore, the highest yield of ryegrass occurred when grown with 8‐1‐X, and this combination gave the maximum total yield. These two populations have potential for inclusion in breeding programmes.     

Soil water dynamics and dry‐matter production of old man saltbush‐, native grass‐ and lucerne‐based pastures in a variable summer‐dominant rainfall environment,Australia

In a summer‐dominant high‐rainfall, yet seasonally dry environment, soil water dynamics and dry‐matter (DM) production were monitored during 2006–12, for three perennial pasture types: old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia ssp. nummularia with native grass), native grass (Bothriochloa macra and Rytidosperma bipartita dominant) and lucerne (Medicago sativa cv. Venus). Plant root depth of the old man saltbush pasture (1·5 m) was greater than that of native grass (1·2 m), but equal to that of lucerne (1·5 m), resulting in equivalent levels of maximum extractable water (MEW; mm, 0–1·7 m) for saltbush and lucerne in five of the six seasons. Lucerne (MEW 242 mm) extracted more soil water than native grass (144 mm), but was similar to old man saltbush (205 mm). In the second year of growth, both the lucerne and old man saltbush pastures achieved their maximum yields of 16·8 and 7·9 t DM ha^?1 respectively, but thereafter declined. The decline in yield of lucerne in later years was associated with a significantly lower plant frequency and increase in proportion of weeds. The decline in yield of old man saltbush appeared to be associated with an increasingly dry soil profile, despite receiving rainfall that was above average. The yield of the native grass pasture increased during the study as the proportion of weeds declined, and the presence of saltbush plants did not compromise the yield of perennial grasses in the inter‐row spaces. The implications of these findings for livestock production systems in this environment are discussed.     

云南间作大豆耐荫性综合评价及鉴定指标筛选

      本文旨在探讨不同基因型大豆品种的耐荫特性，筛选出耐荫性鉴定指标，建立可用于耐荫性评价的数学模型。以44个大豆品种（系）为试验材料，在玉米-大豆间作下创设的自然荫蔽条件开展耐荫性鉴定，净种大豆作为对照。在各参试材料植株成熟期调查10个主要形态性状和产量性状，以各指标的耐荫系数为基础，采用多元统计方法对大豆的耐荫性进行综合评价。结果表明：与对照相比，受荫蔽胁迫后，参试材料的各性状变化趋势及幅度不同，各指标间都有不同程度的相关性，部分性状间相关性达到显著或极显著水平。通过主成分分析，将10个单项指标转换为4个相互独立的综合指标，代表了全部数据79.77%信息量。利用隶属函数法计算综合耐荫评价值（D），并对其进行系统聚类，将44个大豆品种（系）按照耐荫性强弱分为了强耐荫、中等耐荫和弱耐荫3大类。通过逐步回归建立了大豆耐荫性评价数学模型，并筛选出株高、主茎节数、有效分枝数、单株荚数、单株粒数、单株产量、每荚粒数和倒伏8个性状可作为云南省间作大豆耐荫性鉴定指标     

Effects of post‐grazing herbage height and concentrate feeding on milk production and major milk fatty acids of dairy cows in mid‐lactation

Milk fatty acids (FA) were compared in mid‐lactation dairy cows in four feeding systems combining grazing management and supplementation. The four treatments were factorial combinations of compressed herbage grazed to 3·7 or 4·6 cm post‐grazing height, with or without concentrate feeding (3·6 kg cow^?1 d^?1). Milk yield and composition were measured for four groups of eight Friesian × Jersey dairy cows over 3 weeks in mid‐lactation for cows that had grazed treatments for 64 d from early spring. Milk yield was higher in cows fed concentrate plus herbage (23·9 kg d^?1 cow^?1) than cows fed herbage only (20·3 kg d^?1 cow^?1). Milk fat percentage was higher in cows fed herbage only (5·5%) than that fed herbage plus concentrate (5·1%). Milk protein percentage was higher in cows fed herbage plus concentrate (4·0%) than that fed herbage only (3·7%). The concentrations of conjugated linoleic acids c9, t11, C18:0, C18:1 t11 and C18:2 t9, c12 FA were lower where concentrate was fed. The concentrations of C18:1 t10, C18:1 t5, t8 and C18:2 c9, c12 FA were higher where concentrate was fed. The concentrations of C18:1 c6, C18:1 c9, C18:1 t9 and C18:3 c6,9,15 were unaffected by concentrate feeding. Post‐grazing herbage height had no significant effect on milk yield or concentration of milk FA. Provided dairy cows are harvesting leafy material of similar nutrient and FA concentration, post‐grazing herbage height does not appear to alter milk FA and the supply of high energy concentrates is more influential on milk FA profiles.     

Phosphorus application and liming effects on forage production,floristic composition and soil chemical properties in the Campos biome,southern Brazil

Studies of responses of native and introduced grassland species to lime and phosphorus (P) applications could contribute to improved understanding of the potential production of South American natural grasslands. To determine the effect of applying lime and different P sources on forage production, diversity and floristic composition, and on soil chemical properties, a small‐plot experiment was conducted over 12 years in natural grassland oversown with Lolium multiflorum and Trifolium vesiculosum in the Campos of southern Brazil. In treatments with soluble phosphate application, dry‐matter (DM) yield in November 2008, after 164 d of winter and early spring growth, increased from 2·3 to 3·2 t ha^?1. Differences in DM yield in March 2009, after 111 d of growth during late spring and early summer, were not significant. The DM yield in April 2010, after 419 d of growth, increased from 7·7 to 9·2 t ha^?1 in the treatments with P, regardless of the P source. Increased forage yield during the slow growth period in winter was only possible with the introduction of winter‐growing species (L. multiflorum and T. vesiculosum) and soluble phosphate application. Assessment of annual forage yield showed that the effectiveness of Gafsa rock phosphate was equivalent to that of soluble phosphates in the long term. Soluble phosphates and liming modified the botanical composition of natural Campos grassland in the long term, but floristic diversity was not altered.     

Factors reducing yield of organic white clover seed production in Denmark

Factors reducing yield of organic white clover seed production were investigated in Denmark. In thirty‐six fields from different regions, density of flower heads, and weevils of the genera Apion and Hypera, hatching from flower heads, were assessed. In fifteen of these fields, additional measurements were made in order to calculate potential yield and yield‐reducing factors. Flower heads had a mean of ninety‐two florets per head, of which proportionately 0·59 were intact, 0·08 were not pollinated and 0·34 damaged by weevils; 0·16 of the florets contained larvae of Apion species. In intact florets the mean number of seeds was 3·6. Density and size of flower heads were correlated with low density of flower heads leading to significantly more florets per head. The number of seeds per intact floret was correlated with the proportion of unpollinated florets. The number of insect‐damaged florets was influenced by both larvae of Apion in and the numbers of Hypera nigrirostris (Fabr.) hatched from flower heads. One larva of H. nigrirostris caused approximately ten times the damage of a larva of Apion. Densities of Apion and Hypera were influenced by location, with fields with adjacent weevil sources being most at risk. An estimate of potential seed yield showed that, even under good harvest conditions, only a small part of potential seed yield is realized and that under suboptimal harvest conditions seed loss is high. The main factors responsible for low yields in Danish organic white clover seed production were identified as unfavourable harvest conditions and weevil damage.     

Effects of predicted milk yields sustained by grazed grass on dairy cow performance and concentrate requirements throughout the grazing season

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of predicted milk yields sustained by grazed grass (‘Milk‐from‐Grass’: LOW, MED or HIGH) and Parity (primiparous or multiparous) on the performance and concentrate requirements of grazed Holstein‐Friesian dairy cows offered concentrates on a ‘feed‐to‐yield’ basis during the grazing season. The mean Milk‐from‐Grass values assigned to cows in the LOW, MED and HIGH treatment groups (sixteen multiparous and eight primiparous cows per group) during the experiment (24 May to 2 October; 131 d) were 12·7, 15·4 and 18·1 kg cow^?1 d^?1, respectively. Concentrate allocations were adjusted every two weeks (approximately) based on individual cows’ milk yields, and concentrate was offered at a rate of 0·45 kg for each kg of milk produced above the assigned Milk‐from‐Grass value at that time. Increasing Milk‐from‐Grass from LOW to MED to HIGH decreased both the mean daily concentrate allocations (4·90, 3·17 and 1·79 kg cow^?1 d^?1, respectively) and milk yields (23·8, 21·8 and 19·0 kg cow^?1 d^?1) of the cows. Cows in the LOW treatment group had lower mean and final (i.e. at the end of the study) BCS and LW than those in the MED or HIGH groups. The effects of Milk‐from‐Grass were similar for both primiparous and multiparous cows.     

A simultaneous effect of selfing and Epichloë endophyte on forage,seed yield and turf characteristics of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a putative turf and forage plant characterized as mainly outcrossing in which the extent of self‐fertilization and its consequences has not been investigated. In this study, selfed and half‐sib family seeds were obtained from ten clonally propagated ryegrass plants among which two were endophyte‐free (EF) and eight were endophyte‐infected (EI). Then, 20 seed populations plus two commercial varieties of Speedy and Vigor were sown and evaluated in a biennial experiment for their turf and forage characteristics. Selfing caused significant inbreeding depression for plant fresh and dry weight and leaf length and width in the first year for both EI and EF genotypes. In the second year, only leaf length remained depressed among these characters. Also, for the most growth, turf and reproductive traits, EI populations showed less depression. The presence of endophyte in self‐pollinated populations made an increasing effect for the number of seed per spike and days to heading, although seed weight was reduced. Some of the populations derived from self‐pollination and infected with fungal endophyte including S9 and S10 were even superior to the two commercial varieties in terms of both seed production and turf characteristics. However, for seed‐related characteristics including number of spikes per plant, seed weight and seed yield, EF populations including Speedy and Vigor were more reproductive than EI populations. It is concluded that selfing may increase the discrimination between EI and EF ryegrass plants because endophyte infection may mitigate the negative consequences of inbreeding depression in prone populations.     

Does post‐grazing sward height influence sward characteristics,seasonal herbage dry‐matter production and herbage quality?

Extending the grazing season through the production and utilization of high‐quality forage is a key objective in grassland‐based dairy production systems. Grazing swards to a low post‐grazing sward height (PGSH) is a strategy for improving grass utilization. A grazing experiment conducted in Ireland investigated immediate and subsequent effects of PGSH on sward production, utilization and structural characteristics. Swards were grazed to 2·7 cm (severe; S1) or 3·5 cm (moderate; M1) from 10 February to 18 April 2010 (Period 1; P1). From 19 April, each P1 paddock was halved and grazed to either 3·8 cm (S2) or 4·8 cm (M2), until 30 October (Period 2; P2). The first grazing rotation was +7 d on S1 swards compared with M1 swards (45 d), due to greater herbage utilization (+0·22). Herbage production during P1 was not affected by PGSH but a severe PGSH during this period reduced subsequent herbage production: 13·9 (S1) vs. 15·5 t dry matter (DM) ha^?1 (M1) by the end of the study. Leaf proportion was increased (+0·10) on S2 swards compared with M2 swards, but M2 swards produced 1·2 t DM ha^?1 more herbage during P2. Despite the relatively lower level of sward utilization obtained from moderate grazing in P1 (3·5 cm) and P2 (4·5–5·0 cm), such levels of PGSH increased DM production while maintaining sward quality, compared with severe grazing (2·7 cm in P1 and 3·5–4·0 cm in P2).     

Species interactions in a grassland mixture under low nitrogen fertilization and two cutting frequencies: 1. dry‐matter yield and dynamics of species composition

Four‐species mixtures and pure stands of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, white clover and red clover were grown in three‐cut and five‐cut systems at Ås, southern Norway, at a low fertilization rate (100 kg N ha^?1 year^?1). Over a three‐year experiment, we found strong positive effects of species diversity on annual dry‐matter yield and yield stability under both cutting frequencies. The overyielding in mixtures relative to pure stands was highest in the five‐cut system and in the second year. Among the possible pairwise species interaction effects contributing to the diversity effect, the grass–grass interaction was the strongest, being significant in both cutting systems and in all years. The grass–legume interactions were sometimes significant, but no significant legume–legume interaction could be detected. Competitive relationships between species varied from year to year and also between cutting systems. Estimations based on species identity effects and pair‐specific interactions suggested that the optimal proportions of red clover, white clover, perennial ryegrass and tall fescue in seed mixtures would have been around 0·1, 0·2, 0·4 and 0·3 in the three‐cut system, and 0·1, 0·3, 0·3 and 0·3 in the five‐cut system.     

Important ecological traits for selecting Biserrula pelecinus L. (biserrula) genotypes for their potential introduction into agricultural systems

An investigation of eleven genotypes and two cultivars of Biserrula pelecinus L. (biserrula) was conducted in Western Australia to study their ecological and agronomic traits. All biserrula genotypes were productive in the 2 years of testing, with dry‐matter production ranging from 3·5 to 4·9 t ha^?1 and seed yield ranging from 314 to 1381 kg ha^?1. Biserrula has high initial levels of hard seededness (95–100%) and a more gradual hard seed breakdown (68–92%) in summer. The high levels of hard seed decreased the seedling densities of biserrula in the second year, while were at highest levels in the third year after the plots were cropped to wheat. A further experiment was conducted to study the interaction between spray‐topping and seed set. This study showed subterranean clover seed yields were more tolerant to herbicides than a number of biserrula genotypes. There were significant responses to the herbicides within the biserrula genotypes, and 95GCN59 was less affected. The rhizobium experiment showed a strong host strain/interaction and has emphasized the importance of simultaneous breeding and selection of plant germplasm run in parallel with the selection of elite strains of rhizobia such as WSM1497 to optimize nitrogen fixation.     

Identification of diverse germplasm lines for agronomic traits in a chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) core collection for use in crop improvement

Utilization of exotic and diverse germplasm is needed to enhance the genetic diversity of cultivars. Genetically diverse lines provide ample opportunity to create favorable gene combinations, and the probability of producing a unique genotype increases in proportion to the number of genes by which the parents differ. Representative core collections (10% of the entire collection) have been suggested as a means to identify useful parents for crop improvement programs. The chickpea core collection (1956 accessions) was evaluated for 14 agronomic traits in two seasons to identify diverse agronomically superior chickpea germplasm. Season (year) and genotypic effects were significant for 13 of the 14 traits, while genotype × season effect was significant for 8 traits. The desi, kabuli, and intermediate type chickpeas differed significantly for days to maturity, basal secondary branches, pods per plant, seed yield, and 100-seed weight. In comparison to controls, 12 accessions flowered early, 15 produced greater seed yield, and 29 had greater 100-seed weight. Based on days to 50% flowering, pods per plant, seed yield, and 100-seed weight, 19 desi, 15 kabuli and 5 intermediate type chickpea germplasm lines originating from 10 countries were selected. The selected desi accessions produced 8.5% more seed yield and had 32% larger seeds than the control cultivar Annigeri while the selected kabuli accessions yielded at par with control L 550 but had 84% larger seeds. The 39 selected accessions and two control cultivars (Annigeri and L 550) were grouped by their first five principal components (PCs) into three clusters. Cluster 1 consisted of early maturing large-seeded kabuli types, cluster 2 early and late maturing desi types, and cluster 3 late maturing intermediate and kabuli types. Clusters 2 and 3 accessions had small to medium sized seeds. These accessions can be used in chickpea breeding programs to develop high yielding desi and kabuli cultivars with a broad genetic base.     

北疆超晚播小麦品种生育特性及产量比较

为探明北疆超晚播条件下,冬、春性小麦品种间生育特性及产量的差异,采用田间试验（10月31日播种,冬前不灌水）,比较了6个冬性和5个春性小麦品种的生育特性及产量。结果表明,春性品种出苗率明显高于冬性品种,春性品种平均生育期（91.8 d）比冬性品种(95.0 d)短约3.0 d;春性品种总茎数平均峰值（869.3×10⁴·hm^-2）明显高于冬性品种（772.4×10⁴·hm^-2）;叶面积指数和干物质积累量的平均值在春、冬性品种间差异不明显;新冬41、新春6号、新春43号的产量较高,为7 581.6~7 935.6 kg·hm^-2,获得高产的穗数为431.7×10⁴~515.8× 10⁴·hm^-2,穗粒数 31.6~36.3,千粒重46.8~52.8 g。综合考虑产量、出苗率、成熟期等因素,初步认为新春6号、新冬41号、新春43号适合在北疆超晚播。