Temperature,Mg and Al Interaction Effects on Grass Tetany Potential of Ryegrass Forage1

Two annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cultivars differing in Al sensitivity were grown in nutrient solution at pH 4.2 to assess the effects of temperature (10/6 and 22/18 °C day/night), Mg (0.1 and 1 mM) and Al solution concentrations (0, 3.7 and 74 μ M) on several factors influencing grass tetany potential of forage. Added Al depressed Mg and Ca shoot concentrations and increased shoot K/(Ca + Mg) equivalent ratio especially after prolonged treatment at higher temperature and lower Mg solution concentrations. These effects were more pronounced in the relatively Al-sensitive cultivar Wilo which appeared to be less Mg-efficient as well. Grass tetany potential will therefore be higher following a temperature rise if Al-sensitive ryegrass is grown in a medium containing low Mg and high Al levels.     

Cytogenetic Studies of Crosses between Lolium multiflorum Lam. and Festuca arundinacea Schreb. III. The Generations C1, C2 and C3

Meiotic observations of 56-chromosome plants of the C₁, C₂ and C₃ generations of the amphidiploid Lolium multiflorum × Festuca arundinacea showed that most of the chromosomes paired as bivalents. However, uni- and multivalents were frequently observed. No difference in meiotic regularity and stability could be detected between the different generations. The average chromosome number and; the percentage of 56-chromosome plants decreased with increasing generations. The direct use of the 56-chromosome amphidiploids of L. multiflorum and F. arundinacea in a breeding programme appears to be quite difficult, but these plants can be used in a backcross programme with Lolium and Festuca.     

A relationship between heading date and in vitro tillering propensity in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

Summary In vitro tillers of over 1000 genotypes from nine contrasting Lolium perenne cultivars were cultured on various media containing the synthetic cytokinin, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), in order to determine the effect on tillering. The cultures were assessed after seven weeks for survival, tiller production, size and vigour. Added auxins 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and -napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) had no consistent beneficial effects.A significant relationship was found between in vitro tiller production and cultivar heading date. Genotypes of early-heading, less persistent cultivars produced more tillers than genotypes from late heading more persistent cultivars. This was consistent with the generally higher in vitro tiller production in the biennial species Lolium multiflorum cultured on similar media.     

Genetic Variation for Seed Yield in Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

In perennial ryegrass seed yield is low and unreliable and little is known about the seed-yielding capacity of different cultivars. Therefore, genetic variation for seed yield was studied for therefore, genetic variation for seed yield was studied for three years at two locations. Twelve trials consisting of drilled plots of nine diploid, late-flowering cultivars in four replications were harvested for seed. Significant gentic differences for seed yield and seed weight weight were detected. The ranking of the cultivars for seed yield differed from that for seed weight. The levels of seed yield and seed weight were affected by such environmental factors as year, soil type and crop production year, but interactions of these factors with cultivars were generally not significant. Variation in seed yield was more related to variation in seed number than to variation in seed weight. There were no significant cultivar differences for yield stability. The highest yielding cultivar was superior over a wide range of environments and the seed yield of the poorest cultivar was on average only 64% of that of the best cultivar.     

Genetic improvement of yield of nitrogen of Lolium perenne pastures

Summary Four varieties of Lolium perenne with similar flowering dates bred over a 30 year period were grown in an orthogonal plot trial with two contrasting harvesting frequencies and three levels of fertiliser (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 t/ha of N annually). In the second harvest year, the nitrogen (N) content of herbage at each harvest was determined and the yields of N calculated. The newest variety (Ba 10761) gave a 20% higher mean annual yield of N than the oldest (S.321). The influence of variety in increasing the ratio of N recovered: N applied was as great or greater than the influence of harvesting frequency or level of applied N. There were small differences between varieties in N content (%N), N content being inversely related to N yield.     

Effects of Interspecific Competition on the Inheritance of Quantitative Traits in White Clover *)

Analysis of a half diallel cross among four white clover cultivars, grown as monocultures and in mixtures (duocultures) with two separate perennial rye-grass cultivars, confirmed that for stolon and leaf number a higher proportion of the genetic variance in duocultures was non-additive. For canopy height and dry weight, however, this proportion was less affected by inter-specific competition. An additive-dominance model of gene action sufficed for all four characters in monocultures, but in duocultures epis-tasis was just one of the factors complicating the genetic picture. This, coupled with short-term reversals in the direction of dominance, merely illustrates the complexity of breeding white clover cultivars. Possible future developments in the breeding of white clover are discussed in the light of these results.     

Yield and quality components of silage maize in killed and live cover crop sods

In sloping areas with high precipitation, planting maize into live winter cover crop sods may help to alleviate the environmental problems associated with clean-tillage production systems of maize. The present study evaluates the performance of silage maize (Zea mays L.) under several cultivation methods: CC (conventional cropping system, i.e., maize was sown into the bare, autumn-ploughed soil); LGS/CK (maize was planted into a living Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) sod which was subsequently herbicidally killed); and LGS/MR (similar to LGS/CK, but the ryegrass was mechanically regulated). The research was conducted in the midlands of Switzerland on a fertile sandy loam under humid conditions during three cropping seasons. With 110 kg N ha⁻¹ (fertilizer nitrogen plus mineral nitrogen of the soil at maize planting), the CC system was much more productive than were the LGS/CK and LGS/MR systems in terms of dry matter and nitrogen yields of maize. Increasing the nitrogen supply to 250 kg N ha⁻¹ considerably reduced the yield advantage of CC over the LGS/CK and LGS/MR systems, indicating that nitrogen was the most limiting factor for maize yield in the mulch seeding systems. With 250 kg N ha⁻¹, the LGS/CK and LGS/MR systems produced greater total yields of digestible organic matter (maize plus ryegrass) than did the CC system, whereas the total nitrogen yield was similar for all cropping systems. The whole-shoot concentrations of nitrogen were highest under CC, irrespective of the level of nitrogen supply. With 110 kg N ha⁻¹, concentrations of phosphorus and magnesium were clearly higher for the mulch seeding systems. There were only minor differences among the cropping methods in the concentrations of potassium and calcium in the whole shoot. When 250 kg N ha⁻¹ were applied, there were no significant variations among the cropping systems in the concentrations of minerals. Changes in the botanical composition of the cover crop sod and in the time and method of cover crop control may help to reduce the competition for nitrogen between maize and the living mulch.     

Selection for Seed Yield in Lolium perenne L.*

Components of seed yield were estimated for each set of 100 plants derived from six varieties of Lolium perenne. Significant differences between the varieties were found for all components of seed yield, but the range was broader within each variety. An indirect selection of seed yield using the character seeds per spike produced a selection response similar to that obtained by direct selection on high seed yield per plant. A direct and indirect selection of characters estimated in small, drilled plots of topcross off-springs (F₁) was less successful than the selection based on the single plants. Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the single plants and their offsprings did not show significant agreement for seed yield. But altogether the results indicated that the increase of seed yield/area was about 6 % when 10 % of the best plants were selected.     

Introduction of a self-compatible gene of Lolium temulentum L. to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) for the purpose of the production of inbred lines of perennial ryegrass

Interspecific hybrids between self-compatible species, Lolium temulentum L. and self-incompatible species, L. perenne L. were obtained using embryo rescue. Two cycles of backcrossing of interspecific hybrids with L. perenne were carried out. A 1: 1 segregation ratio of self comatibility and incompatibility was observed in backcross generations. These segregation data confirmed that self-compatibility of L. temulentum was controlled by a single gene. It suggested that the self-compatible gene of L. temulentum could be introduced to self-incompatible plants of L. perenne through interspecific hybridization. It appears that utilization of a self-compatible gene of L. temulentum would be useful for production of inbred lines of L. perenne. The possibility of breeding procedures of perennial ryegrass using a self-compatible gene was discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Breeding two base populations of perennial ryegrass

Summary A program designed to develop two base populations of perennial ryegrass was initiated in 1985 in Galicia. Multitrait mass selection by a base index was practised in two genetic resources groups of wild Galician populations. Plants selected were intercrossed and the two resulting base populations (F and G) were evaluated in two locations at the spaced plant level and in plot trials with the aim of estimating the genetic parameters and the possibilities for future breeding. The two populations did not show significant differences from commercial cultivars. Production characters had low heritabilities (0.01–0.32) in both locations. Seasonal yields had medium to high family heritabilities (0.36–0.73). For the economic traits chosen, the expected genetic advances were important in both populations for summer and autumn growth in Mabegondo and spring and summer-autumn dry matter yield (1^st and 3^rd year) in Puebla de Brollón. Expected genetic advance for early spring growth was 0.62 in population F. In the autumn of 1991 equal numbers of plants, selected at each location by combined family and mass selection from each of these populations, were planted in two polycrosses with the aim of improving the genetic basis and adaptation of these populations.