Seed Yield Components in Single Plants of Diverse Scandinavian Tetraploid Red Clover Populations (Trifolium pratense L.)

Abstract

Satisfactory seed yield of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) cultivars is crucial for the availability of seeds on the market. Many breeders and researchers have used seed yield components to measure, compare, and explain differences in seed yield between diploid and tetraploid red clover cultivars and populations; however, the relative importance of each component varies between studies. In 2011 and 2012, single‐plant trials with several tetraploid and one diploid red clover cultivar were established at the Norwegian plant breeding station at Bjørke. The goal was to study the impact of different seed‐yield components on the seed yield of tetraploid plants. Seed weight per flower head was the seed‐yield component that correlated best with the seed yield plant−1 (r = 0.91 and r = 0.68 in 2011 and 2012, respectively). Path coefficient analysis has also shown that the seed weight per flower head had the highest direct impact on seed yield plant−1 (direct path coefficients were 0.867 and 0.783 in 2011 and 2012, respectively). In comparison, the direct path coefficients for calculated number of flower heads, which was previously highlighted as the most important seed‐yield component, were lower and more variable (0.739 and 0.392 in 2011 and 2012, respectively). Since previously seed yield per flower head was also identified as the most important seed‐yield component in dense plant canopy, this component might have the potential to select for improved seed yield of new cultivars based on single plants. However, further studies are required to confirm this conclusion.