Preliminary Results of Evaluation of Collection Samples of Meadow Timothy as a Valuable Source Material for Breeding

Abstract

Meadow Timothy is one of the most common perennial forage grasses for haymaking and pasture use, as well as one of the components of legumecereal grass mixtures. High productivity of Meadow Timothy can only be provided by new modern varieties, for the creation of which it is of foremost importance to use source material of various ecological and geographical origin in breeding programmes. For this, it is necessary to evaluate it for a complex of economic and breeding-valuable characteristics, which was the purpose of this study. The methodological framework included field and laboratory methods of research, which was conducted during 2020-2021 in the experimental field of the pre-Carpathian Department of Scientific Research of the Institute of Agriculture of the Carpathian Region of the National Academy of Sciences. The study investigated 16 collection samples of local selection obtained as a result of individual and mass selection, as well as one hybrid population. Standard – Daryna variety. According to two-year data, the highest plant height was found in samples MS 1496 – 116.0 cm and IS 1612 – 114.6 cm, foliage – MS 1510 – 68.2%, IS 1512 – 60.4%, IS 1612 – 65.0%, MS 1816 – 61.3 %, green mass yield – IS 1512 – 4.05 kg/m2, IS 1612 – 4.10 kg/m2, MS 1816 – 4.07 kg/m2, MS 1510 – 4.00 kg/m2, dry matter – IS 1612 – 0.888 kg/m2, MS 1816 – 0.861 kg/m2, seed productivity – IS 1512 – 28.0 g/m2, IS 1608 – 27.0 g/m2, HP – 26.5 g/m2, IS 1506 – 26.0 g/m2, panicle length – IS 1608 – 15.0 cm, HP – 15.1 cm, number and weight of seeds from one panicle – IS 1608, IS 1509, IS 1506, IS 1610, weight of 1,000 seeds – IS 1512 – 0.68 g, IS 1608 – 0.65 g, IS 1509 – 0.63 g, crude protein content – IS 1612 – 14.4%, IS 1512, IS 1954 – 14.1%, HP – 14.0%, fibre – IS 1512 – 30.0%, MS 1823, IS 1612 – 29.8%, MS 1602 – 29.6%. All samples had high winter hardiness and resistance to diseases. The study will continue in 2022. Based on three-year data, the best source material will be used in the further scheme of the breeding process