Heterosis in red clover

Authors

• Rolf Manner Agricultural Research Centre, Department of Plant Breeding, Jokioinen

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71596

Abstract

The possibilities of utilizing heterosis in reciprocal and separate bulk crosses and through selection parallel with bulk crossing in red clover are discussed. The reciprocal bulk crosses have not reached the average green matter performance of the pure strains in the crosses. The performance in the second harvest year was on an average not as good as in the first harvest year. On an average, the separate bulk crosses have given higher green matter yields than both the mothers and the parental means. The yield performance was better relatively in the first harvest year than in the second harvest year in comparison with the mothers and with the parental means. If the bulk crosses are performed on plants selected for persistence the green matter yields have on an average been relatively higher than in other bulk crosses. The yields in the second harvest year have been comparatively better than in the first harvest year.