Festulolium field performance under fluctuating growing conditions in Lithuania

Abstract

Festulolium cultivars are widely utilized in Lithuania because they are persistent under abiotic stresses and are high yielding. However, changing climate challenges the existing Festulolium cultivars to adapt to new growing conditions and still maintain the yield. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the yield stability of two Festulolium cultivars in field trials under fluctuating Lithuanian conditions. The mean total dry matter yield (DMY) of both Festulolium cultivars fluctuated greatly between the years and ANOVA analysis showed a significant effect of environment on total DMY as well as DMY of each cut, but the genotype × environment interaction was not significant. There was a high difference between the total DMY of 1st year and 2nd year of use of plots in each year of observation. The highest DMYs were harvested in the years 2015 and 2016. Dry matter yield of the 1st cut was the largest component of the total DMY for most of the years. The plants overwintered the first winter after sowing very well over the whole study period, resulting in excellent spring growth. The winter survival scores of 2nd year of use of plots were lower than 1st year of use and strongly correlated with the 1st cut DMY of 2nd year of use (r = 0.81). Spring growth of plants at 2nd year of use was poorer, the correlation between winter survival and spring growth of 2nd year of use was 0.62. The scores of regrowth after the cuts of 1st and 2nd years of use were very similar for most of the experimental years and moderately correlated with the sum of DMYs after cuts (r = 0.55 and r = 0.5, respectively).