Abstract
Eight red clover subspecies are registered in Europe but it can be considered that the high genetic diversity and local genetic adaptation existing at a subspecies level is unused. The experiment aimed at studying agronomical traits of the hybrids obtained from crosses of wild subspecies of Trifolium pratense - snow clover (Trifolium pratense ssp. nivale (W.D.J. Koch) Arcang.) and cultivated red clover (Trifolium pratense ssp. sativum). Under field conditions, two snow clover half-sib families - F1 generation of crossbreeding were selected and compared to the paternal variety Nika 11 for three years. According to results, the size, habit of growth as well as dry matter productivity at spring growth of the F1 hybrids were similar to the cultivated red clover. In summer regrowth, they were less productive. In terms of a type and rate of development the hybrids were similar to snow clover. From morphological point of view, the families proved of interest with its abundant leafiness, which renders them suitable for breeding in pasture direction. The hybrids are characterized by an icreased number of seeds per inflorescence and seed yield. The open-pollinated seeds of families were used for the formation of a population that represented the F2 generation progenies. The phenotypic variation in the first vegetation of F2 generation was high for plant flower colour, growth habit, and degree of pubescence. It can be considered that this population contains a high genetic variation and is suitable for development of complex hybrid breeding populations.
Highlights
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is the most commonly used legume species for the establishment of a temporary meadow and grazing grasslands in foothill and mountain areas of Balkan Peninsula (Mihovski et al 2011; Bozhanska 2017; Bozhanska et al 2018)
All F plants obtained by cross a snow clover (Trifolium pratense 1 ssp. nivale) with red clover (Trifolium pratense ssp. sativum) cultivar Nika 11 had pink flowers, which differed from maternal genotypes that are white-blossoming (Fig. 1, 2)
Their stems were characterized by a strong pubescence, typical of the snow clover, unlike the paternal variety, which has a low degree of pubescence with nonglandular trichomes
Summary
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is the most commonly used legume species for the establishment of a temporary meadow and grazing grasslands in foothill and mountain areas of Balkan Peninsula (Mihovski et al 2011; Bozhanska 2017; Bozhanska et al 2018). Eight red clover subspecies are registered in Europe (Lopez Poveda 2012), but the high genetic diversity and local genetic adaptation existing at a subspecies level are unused in breeding. One of these subspecies is snow clover The snow clover has been studied as a site-specific legume in programs for the conservation of biodiversity and the restoration of degraded ecosystems (Romani et al 2006), as a new source of natural isoflavones with a different concentration pattern than in red clover (Tava et al 2015)
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