New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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Development of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) genotypes for New Zealand pastures
3. Whatawhata production evaluation

M. B. DODD
G. W. SHEATH
I. S. TARBOTTON

AgResearch
Whatawhata Research Centre
Private Bag 3089
Hamilton, New Zealand

Abstract  A 2-year trial evaluated the herbage production of a number of selected subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) cultivars and lines. Seedlings were transplanted into small plots on a cultivated area of less than 5deg. slope. Morphological characteristics, spring herbage production, isoflavone content, and summer/autumn seedling emergence were measured. Of the cultivars evaluated in this trial, only `Denmark' proved to be an improvement on `Tallarook', and this was only on the basis of early-season growth. However, a number of lines in this trial stood out in terms of their growth during the spring period and their high level of seed production. They included AK 664, WS 1436, and WS 536. Herbage harvested over 3 months from pure swards exceeded the equivalent of 2700 kg DM/ha, and seed production exceeded 7000 seeds/m². These lines also had tissue formononetin levels less than 0.20% of dry weight. These results will be combined with those from previous persistence trials to determine those lines suitable for further cultivar development.

Keywords  cultivar; evaluation; subterranean clover; Trifolium subterraneum; herbage production; isoflavone; genotypes

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1995, Vol. 38: 57-63

0028-8233/95/3801-0057 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1995

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (514K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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