Mutual relationships among yield components in alfalfa

Abstract

Ten alfalfa varieties were tested at the Rimski Sancevi Experiment Field in the period 1991-1994. The following characteristics were analyzed: yield of dry matter, yield of green forage, stem length and diameter, lamina length and width, regeneration rate, number of intemodes, proportion of leaves and the content of crude proteins. Stem length, yield of green forage, regeneration rate and the proportion of leaves exhibited direct positive effects on dry matter yield. Number of internodes, lamina length and the content of crude proteins exhibited negative direct effects. Yield of green forage, stein length and regeneration rate exhibited also indirect positive effects, via other characteristics. They may be used as selection criteria in alfalfa breeding for increased yield of dry matter. In addition to the significant positive direct effect, the portion of leaves had negative indirect effects, via green forage yield, stem length, growth rate and the content of crude proteins. It is therefore not applicable in alfalfa breeding for increased yield of dry matter. .

Keywords

• alfalfa
• yield components
• path coefficient
• direct and indirect effect