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Comparison of the relative performance of perennial ryegrass varieties under upland and lowland conditions
Author(s) -
DAVIES D. A.,
JONES E. L.,
MORGAN T. E. H.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1985.tb01759.x
Subject(s) - perennial plant , lolium perenne , agronomy , productivity , upland rice , biology , spring (device) , oryza sativa , mechanical engineering , biochemistry , gene , economics , macroeconomics , engineering
Productivity, seasonal growth and persistence of 10 perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) varieties were assessed al an upland (305 m) and lowland (30 m) site in mid‐Wales. Averaged over 3 harvest years (1979–81), mean dry matter (DM) production at 8.8 t ha −1 was 22% lower in the upland environment, with spring (April and May) growth showing greatest contrast varying from only 6% of that in the lowland in 1979, after a severe winter, to 113% in 1981. Relative ranking of varieties differed considerably between the two environments and no correlation was found between DM production at the two sites ( r = 0.5945). Early heading varieties performed better in the spring than late types at the upland site. A comparison of the results with those published from official variety testing trials gave a positive relationship under lowland conditions ( r = 0.7162*) but no correlation with those from the upland centre ( r = 0.1969). The findings of the study show that relative productivity of varieties, but not persistency, differs between upland and lowland environments.