Patterns of spring growth and phenology in natural populations of Lolium perenne under contrasting field conditions

Abstract

The ecotypic diversity of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a major genetic resource for breeding programs. In three replicated micro-sward trials in France, Belgium and Germany, we measured spring growth and recorded heading date of round 400 genebank accessions from the natural diversity of L. perenne that were selected as to represent the wide range of variability in this species. We observed marked differences between trial locations as well as interaction between accessions and locations in the timing of spring growth rates along growing-degree-days (GDDs). These preliminary results are part of a wider project aiming to investigate the natural adaptation of perennial ryegrass to various regional climates across its spontaneous area of presence in Europe.