Determination of Yields of Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) Genotypes Under Mediterranean Climatic Conditions

ABSTRACT: This project was conducted to test performance of cultivar candidates of legume bird's-foot trefoil developed in the forage crop breeding program of Aegean Agricultural Research Institute after completing the first cycle of selection procedures whose base material had been obtained from domestic and foreign sources. Regional yield trials were arranged in randomized complete block design with four replications by using cultivar nominees, check cultivars and population at Izmir and Adana locations and conducted for two years in 2015 and 2016. According to mean yields of trials obtained as both locations and year means, genotypes obtained 6940-9510 kg/ha matter yields, 37.1-39.4 %, NDF rates and 29.8-31.2 %, ADF ratios while seed yields were 97-234 kg/ha, germination rates were 52.3-67.9%, 1000 seed weights were 1.04-1.21 g. In terms of dry matter and seed yields, the trials showed that variety candidates were found to be high yielding and well adapted to the region, ranking in first yield groups