Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-tn8tq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-27T19:17:43.341Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Studies on the agronomy, genetics and interrelationships of yield and its morphological components in a diallel set of families of Lolium perenne L.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. J. Thomson ,
A. J. Wright  and
H. H. Rogers
A. J. Thomson
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge
A. J. Wright
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge
H. H. Rogers
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Cambridge
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Five selected clones of Lolium perenne were selfed and diallel crossed without reciprocals to produce 15 families. These families were grown in a replicated field trial for 2 years at four rates of applied nitrogen – 0, 225, 450 and 675 kg N/ha – per annum. The data recorded included dry-matter yield, number of fertile and sterile tillers per plant, mean dry weight per fertile and sterile tiller and total dry weights of fertile and sterile tillers. Conventional analyses of variance and diallel analyses were applied to the data as well as path analyses, used to examine the interrelationships between yield and the tiller characters.

The main effect of years was significant only for mean dry weights per tiller and dry-matter yield. Increasing the rate of applied nitrogen increased the number of tillers and yields but decreased mean tiller dry weights. Differences between progenies were due to both general and specific combining ability for most characters. Relatively high narrow-sense heritabilities were obtained for the tiller characters although there were differences between the two years.

The progenies achieved their yield through different combinations of tiller characters, some having large numbers of fertile tillers with medium dry weights and others having numerous sterile tillers with high dry weights. Although there was inconsistency in the interrelationships between characters, number of tillers was always more important in determining yield than mean dry weight per tiller.

The results are discussed in relation to the predictive value of tiller characters on yields and the implications for breeding programmes.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 80 , Issue 3 , June 1973 , pp. 511 - 520
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cooper, J. P. & Edwards, K. J. R. (1951). The genetic control of leaf development in Lolium. 1. Assessment of genetic variation. Heredity 16, 63–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davies, I. (1969). The influence of management on tiller development and herbage growth. Tech. Bull. No. 3, Welsh Pl. Breed. Stn., Aberyslwyth.Google Scholar
Glenday, A. C. & Fejer, S. O. (1956). The use of discriminant functions in the selection of pasture plants, with particular reference to the Lolium species. Proc. 7th int. Grassld Congr. pp. 461–70.Google Scholar
Griffing, B. (1956). Concept of general and specific combining ability in relation to diallel crossing schemes. Avst. J. biol. Sci. 9, 463–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knight, R. (1970). The effects of plant density and frequency of cutting on the growth of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.). II. Yield in the vegetative and reproductive phases. Aust. J. agric. lies. 21, 653–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, D. A. (1963). The influence of density and nitrogen in seed production stands of S 37 cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.). J. agric. Sci., Camb. 61, 361–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lazenby, A. & Rogers, H. H. (1962). Selection criteria in grass breeding. I. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 59, 51–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lazenby, A. & Rogers, H. H. (1964). Selection criteria in grass breeding. II. Effect, on Lolium perenne, of differences in population density, variety and available moisture. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 62, 285–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lazenby, A. & Rogers, H. H. (1965). Selection criteria in grass breeding. V. Performance of Lolium perenne genotypes grown at different nitrogen levels and spacings. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 65, 79–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C. C. (1955). Population Genetics. Chicago, U.S.A.: The University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Rhodes, I. (1971). The relationship between productivity and some components of canopy structure in ryegrass (Lolium spp.). II. Yield, canopy structure and light interception. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 77, 283–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rogers, H. H. & Lazenby, A. (1966). Selection criteria in the breeding of grasses. Proc. 10th int. Grassld Congr. pp. 630–3.Google Scholar
Rogers, H. H. & Thomson, A. J. (1970). Aspects of the agronomy and genetics of quality components in a diallel set of progenies of Lolium perenne L. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 75, 145–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silsbury, J. H. (1966). Inter-relations in the growth and development of Lolium. II. Tiller number and dry weight at low density. Aust. J. agric. Res. 17, 841–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomson, A. J. & Wright, A. J. (1971). Principles and problems in grass breeding. Rep. PI. Breed. Inst. 1971.Google Scholar
Troughton, A. (1965). Intravarietal variation in Lolium perenne. Euphylica 14, 59–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, R. D. (1970). Tillering in grasses cut for conservation, with special reference to perennial ryegrass. Herb. Abstr. 40, 383–8.Google Scholar
Wright, S. (1921). Correlation and causation. J. agric. Res. 20, 557–85.Google Scholar