Crop Science Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
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Published in Crop Sci 19:89-93 (1979)
© 1979 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Forage Production and Quality of Synthetics Derived from Lolium x Festuca Hybrids1

Clyde C. Berg, R. R. Hill, Jr., R. C. Buckner and R. F. Barnes2

Nine experimental four-parent synthetics from derivatives of Lolium x Festuca hybrids and five cultivars of tall rescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) were evaluated for spring growth, maturity, dry matter yield, in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), and other characters. Three synthetics were from parents that had been selected for yield and vigor in a topcross progeny test; four were from parents that were palatable in an animal acceptance trial; two were from parents that were unpalatable in an animal acceptance trial. Our objectives were to determine the effects of parental selection methods on performance of the synthetics and to compare the performance of the synthetics with that of tall rescue cultivars.

Synthetics from topcross-selected parents had greater vigor and forage yields and matured earlier than those from palatable or unpalatable parents. IVDMD of the synthetics from topcross-selected parents was not significantly different from the average IVDMD of synthetics from palatable and unpalatable parents. The synthetics from palatable parents had significantly greater IVDMD means than those from unl~alatable parents

The synthetics were less vigorous, matured earlier, had less first-harvest, third-harvest, and total season yield, and had a lower IVDMD mean than the tall rescue cultivars. Average second-harvest yield of the synthetics significantly exceeded that of the tall rescue cultivars. Variability among the synthetics suggested that breeding could correct most of these deficiencies.

Key Words: Ryegrass x fescu hybrids • Tall fescue • Festuca arundinaces • Digestibility • Palatability

1 Contribution No. 460 from the U.S. Regional Pasture Research Laboratory, AR, SEA, USDA, University Park, PA 16802, in cooperation with the Dep. of Agronomy, and USDA, SEA, AR, Lexington, KY 40506. Approved by the Director of the Kentucky Agric. Exp. Stn. as Journal Series Article No. 78-3-78.

2 Research geneticist and research agronomist, U.S. Regional Pasture Research Laboratory, AR, SEA, USDA, University Park, PA 16802; research agronomist, AR, SEA, USDA, Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506; staff scientist, National Program Staff, AR, SEA, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 (formerly research agronomist, U.S. Regional Pasture Research Laboratory), respectively.

Received for publication June 2, 1978.




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