The relationship between productivity and some components of canopy structure in ryegrass (Lolium spp.): IV. Canopy characters and their relationship with sward yields in some intra population selections

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Studies were carried out to measure the productivity of selections for extreme expression of the various components of canopy structure from within six Lolium populations of contrasting morphology.Considerable variation existed for all canopy characters within each base population and this was reflected in the difference between the high and low selections.In the first harvest year productivity was closely positively correlated with leaf length. Although some significant differences in yield occurred between selections for other characters, no general pattern was evident as with leaf length. Within the base populations differences in yield occurred between selections of similar leaf length, emphasizing the role of other physiological factors in controlling yield.In general, dry-matter production was greater in the first harvest year than in the second harvest year. In the second year the long-leaved selections from L. multiflorum and L. multiflorum × L. perenne continued to produce greater yields than their respective short-leaved selections and base populations, but no such differences were evident in L. perenne S. 23 and S. 23 × Ba 6280. Whilst long-leaved selections from the former group were as persistent, or even more persistent than their base populations, the long-leaved selections from L. perenne S. 23 and S. 23 × Ba 6280 showed a lower persistency. Similarly, whilst erect tiller selections from L. multiflorum and L. multiflorum × L. perenne were as or more persistent than their base populations, the three L. perenne erect tiller selections exhibited reduced persistency.The plant breeding implications of these results are discussed.