Variability in Reed Canarygrass Collections from Eastern Canada1

Abstract

Forty‐eight accessions of reed canarygrass(Phalaris arundinacea L.), including 36 collections from eastern Canada, 5 cultivars, and 7 experimental strains, were studied in space‐planted nurseries with the objective of assessing the genetic variability of the collections, and of comparing the performance of the collections with the other accessions. Variance component analysis was used to estimate population parameters for the collections. Significant differences among the collections were found for several growth traits and for seed retention, but not for seed yield or for forage yield. Broad sense heritabilities for fall vigor, spring vigor, heading date, height, panicle number and seed retention were 0.38, 0.47, 0.94, 0.54, 0.49, and 0.67, respectively. Seed retention and maximum seed yield potential did not show a significant phenotypic correlation, indicating the possibility of selecting for both traits simultaneously. The collections had somewhat higher forage yields, but much lower seed retention values, than did the selected accessions. An alkaloid survey of the material indicated that the majority of the plants were free of tryptamines and carbolines.