Identification of promising accessions of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) from six years of genetic resource regeneration activity

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

7-2023

Conference Title

Australian Grassland Association Inc Symposium 2023 - Pasture legumes for sustainable productive systems

Place of Publication

Perth

Keywords

subterranean clover, Australian pasture genebank, forage, germplasm

Disciplines

Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences

Abstract

Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is one of the most widely sown annual pasture legume species across southern Australia. Over 9000 accessions of subterranean clover are conserved in the Australian Pastures Genebank (APG) in Adelaide, South Australia. One of the functions of the APG is to regenerate accessions of forage species that have low seed stocks or low seed viability. During the period 2016 to 2021, over 1000 accessions of subterranean clover from the subspecies of subterraneum, yanninicum and brachycalycinum were grown in unreplicated small plots in the field in Western Australia to replenish seed stocks. Basic morphological data was recorded for confirmation (and correction) of historical descriptions and to fill gaps in the database. Additional information was collected on distinguishing leaf markers, winter vigour and days to flowering. A comparison of seed yield and winter vigour with a well-established benchmark cultivar cv. Dalkeith (T. subterraneum ssp subterraneum) has identified a cohort of promising accessions that merit further field evaluation.

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