VARIABILITY OF MORPHOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ALFALFA PROGENIES TRAITS FROM “POLYCROSS” NURSERY

Plant selection in alfalfa “polycross” nursery is based on genotype plant values, that is plant progeny trait values weighed in field trials. Selected plants or progenies may be used as components in “synthetic” cultivar creation, for improved strain cross cultivars development or as valuable germplasm resource in further breeding. The objective of the study was to analyse several morphological and economic traits of 40 alfalfa progenies with domestic and foreign origin from “polycross” nursery, to estimate traits variability, to evaluate progenies germplasm as a source for new genetic variability development and to select superior weight scored progenies which could be given by new cultivar crossing. Field experiments were conducted on neutral (pH(H2O)7.04) and an acid (pH(H2O) 5.4) soil. The experimental design at both locations was RCB with four replicates. As seed supply was shot the plot size was 1m2. In two years of the investigation (1994 and 1995) values of progenies hight and green mass, leaf, steam, dry matter, proteins and cellulose yield were higher at location with neutral soil reaction. The lowest coefficient of trait variation had the plant hight (4.76%) and the highest yield of proteins (28.66%). Almost all trait interactions were highly significant and significant except stem number - plant hight interaction. According to trait values and estimated progenies stability 12 progenies were selected as very valuable germplasm source in further breeding, 19 progenies were valued as possible germplasm source in new genetic variability development and 9 progenies were valued as useless in further breeding. Progenies with superior weighted scores on acid soil should be used to develop acid tolerant cultivar in the breeding program.