Enhancing the Productivity in Forage Grasses on the European Scale using Interspecific Hybridization

Ryegrass x fescue interspecific hybridization (so-called Festulolium) has great potential for forage diversification because of its many amphiploid and introgression-bred forms. Festulolium breeding efforts aim to improve adaptation to mainly winter cold and summer drought through higher abiotic stress tolerance. This goal must be met with a minimum of compromise regarding productivity in the first years of full exploitation. To compare field performances, a 21-entry trial of Festulolium and controls of pure species has been ongoing since 2012 in eight European countries. The yield data collected in 2012 and 2013 in nine locations showed that the Festulolium cultivars performed on average quite well compared to pure species controls. In amphiploids, the annual yield appeared to be mainly driven by the Lolium sp. parent combined with F. pratensis (Fp); the Lm x Fp amphiploids performed thus far better on average than the Lp x Fp equivalents. The only amphiploid from F. glaucescens included in the study had an intermediate response over locations, which was closer to tall fescue than to F. pratensis. Interestingly, a broad variability for yield among the Lm x Fp cultivars appeared to be associated with climate interactions when cold, wet locations were contrasted with more temperate locations with early spring growth.