Heritabilities of nutritive quality factors and interrelationships with yield in selected progenies of tall fescue |
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| Authors: | G de Santis E Chiaravalle |
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| Institution: | Istituto Sperimentale per le Colture Foraggere, via Napoli 52, I-71100 Foggia, Italy. E-mail:;Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, via Manfredonia 20, I-71100 Foggia, Italy |
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| Abstract: | Nine polycross (PX) and nine different self (S1) progenies were randomly chosen from 43 selected tall fescue genotypes and evaluated for in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM), crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin of whole plants, leaf blades and stems (stem plus leaf sheath) at each of four harvest dates in 1991 and 1992. Significant variation for all whole‐plant and leaf quality traits occurred among the PX progenies at the May harvest. Variation among S1 progenies was significant for almost all of the stem traits. Genetic variance components for both progeny groups were significant for almost all of the traits, confirming the presence of additive genetic variation. Heritability estimates on a progeny‐mean basis ranged from medium to high for almost all the traits of the whole‐plant and the leaf and stem fractions. The results suggest that spring would be the time at which direct selection for high IVDOM or low fibre content would be successful and that selection for leaf or stem quality traits improves whole‐plant quality. Selection for quality traits in the summer or in the autumn would be difficult since no significant genetic variability was found. |
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| Keywords: | Festuca arundinacea acid detergent fibre acid detergent lignin crude protein genetic variability heritability in vitro digestibility neutral detergent fibre |
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