SEED YIELD AND ITS COMPONENTS IN THREE FESTUCA SPECIES

Grzegorz Żurek

g.zurek@ihar.edu.pl
Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute, Radzików, 05–870 Błonie; (Poland)

Kamil Prokopiuk

Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute, Radzików, 05–870 Błonie; (Poland)

Danuta Martyniak

Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute, Radzików, 05–870 Błonie; (Poland)

Agnieszka Rachwalska

Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, National Research Institute, Experimental Station Grodkowice, 32 – 015 Grodkowice; (Poland)

Eugeniusz Paszkowski

Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, National Research Institute, Experimental Station Grodkowice, 32 – 015 Grodkowice; (Poland)

Urszula Woźna – Pawlak

DANKO Hodowla Roślin sp. z o.o., 64 – 000 Kościan; (Poland)

Maciej Jurkowski

Poznańska Hodowla Roślin, sp. z o.o., 63–004 Tulce; (Poland)

Abstract

An experiment has been performed in four locations in Poland (Radzików, Leszno, Szelejewo and Nieznanice).
Fifteen genotypes from three species (tall fescue - Festuca arundinacea, meadow fescue - F. pratensis
and red rescue - F. rubra) were measured and observed during two consecutive years. Despite of phenological
observations (heading and flowering start dates), biometrical measurements (plant height, leaf dimension,
number of generative stems etc.) and physiological trait (chlorophyll contents index) seed yield of single
panicle, seed yield of plant and seed yield per plot (i.e. 50 plants) were determined.
Significant effects of years, locations and genotypes were calculated for mentioned species for almost all
tested traits. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate major predictors of seed yield. It resulted
in different numbers of predictors for different species. For meadow fescue five, for red fescue – three and for
tall fescue – only two statistically significant predictors were selected. For all species leaf width and number
of generative stems were statistically significant and had positive weights. For meadow and red fescue – also
seed yield from single inflorescence was significant with positive weight. Our results demonstrate that leaf
width together with number of steams and single panicle yield are the most important determinants of plant
seed yield in three Festuca species.

Keywords:

meadow fescue,, leaf,, multiple regression analysis,, red fescue,, tall fescue