The proportion of surviving genotypes of red clover in relation to their origin

Abstract

Red clover is an important fodder crop grown in all agricultural areas of the world, but is most productive in temperate zones. It can be sown as a monoculture, but is a more often a component of clover-grass mixtures. 46 red clover accessions were analyzed to determine the proportion of surviving genotypes and observations were made during the second year of cultivation. The red clover collection included accessions of different geographical origin and the trial was guided in a randomized block design with three replicates at the testing place Rimski Šančevi in Novi Sad, Serbia. Our results showed that the degree of ploidy had no effect on the distribution of surviving plants. The most numerous and persistent genotypes were predominantly of southern European and American/Australian origin. Genotypes from north-western Europe and central-eastern Europe showed no tendency to group, but were evenly represented in terms of survival rate. The observed phenotypic variation in the number of surviving red clover genotypes is the result of both genetic and environmental factors, and when selecting for improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress and for persistence, the origin of the parental material must be taken into account.