Genotypic variation in vernalisation response and autumn growth in forage grass species

摘要

Depending on the grass species, development of stem-forming tillers is strictly regulated by temperature and/or day length (DL). We studied the regulation of tiller development and growth of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and festulolium (Festuca x Lolium)by vernalisation, temperature and DL in field and growth chamber experiments. Our results show that there exists significant genotypic variation in traits important for biomass accumulation in different harvests. It seems that the extent of the spring growth flush is dependent on the vernalisation state of the plants. In autumn, growth in timothy is strictly regulated by DL, whereas in festulolium temperature is a more important regulator. Knowledge of these differences between grass species in their responses to environmental cues, and understanding of the genetic variation in these traits, provide unique opportunities for breeding as well as for the selection of best-performing genotypes for forage leys.