Species aspects of breeding herbage varieties for northern marginal regions

Abstract

Northern marginal regions are very heterogeneous as regards environmental conditions for plant growth. Low temperature is the overriding feature of the environment in these regions. This paper discusses species aspects in relation to breeding for adaptation to northern marginal regions for the most important herbage species. The impact of natural selection and climatic adaptation on the herbage plant populations at the margin forms the basis for discussing breeding objectives for the various species in these regions. The differences between species native to these regions, e.g. Poa pratensis, Festuca rubra, Deschampsia spp., and introduced species like Phleum pratense and Festuca pratensis, are emphasized. These differences include important characteristics like yield potential, seasonal distribution, quality and winter hardiness, the most important characteristic of adaptation to northern marginal regions. The influence of the course of the reproductive development on both total yield, harvest index and seasonal distribution is stressed, and particularly discussed for Phleum.