IMPROVING THE SEED PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF WHITE CLOVER (TRIFOLIUM REPENS L.) BY INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDISATION

A.H. Marshall, T.P.T. Michaelson-Yeates, M.T. Abberton, I. Rhodes and A. Williams

Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth,

Ceredigion, United Kingdom, SY23 3EB.

Hybrids between the perennial forage legume white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and the profuse flowering annual legume Ball clover (T. nigrescens Viv.) have been developed with the objective of increasing the reproductive potential of white clover.  Fertile F1 plants have been used as the basis for three generations of backcrossing using white clover as the recurrent parent.  Fertility of the hybrids was slightly lower than white clover, however the seed yield potential was higher.  BC3 plants had increased inflorescence production and a less intermittent pattern of flowering than white clover but comparable numbers of florets per inflorescence.  Dry matter yields of BC2 and BC3 plants sown in plots with perennial ryegrass were comparate to yields of white clover, confirming the possibility of combining increased reproductive growth with good agronomic performance.

Keywords: white clover; seed yield; interspecific hybridisation.