Selection for dry-matter yield in Lolium perenne L.. I. Direct response to selection

Selection for high and low dry matter yield within an ecotype of Lolium perenne L. was effective in producing two highly differentiated populations. The evaluation of the materials obtained after three cycles of selection snowed a realized heritability of 0.13 and a symmetrical response in the two directions of selection. The difference between populations selected in opposite directions was 448.9 mg/plant and was significant from early stages of development. After four cycles of selection, realized heritability was 0.10. The low heritability estimate suggested that more efficient selection criteria for the improvement of forage yield are needed.