Rhodes grass breeding in Kenya. III. Seed and herbage yield in selections of four maturity classes based upon intra variety variation

Summary

Selections of four maturity classes developed from within each of three commercial varieties of Rhodes grass, Mbarara, Masaba and Pokot, were assessed for yield of PGS (pure germinating seed), speed of establishment after sowing, total dry matter yield and dry matter yield under frequent clipping (persistence), over three years.

The range in heading date between the selections was well outside the range of the original varieties. The best selection with the highest overall response was the early-heading selection developed out of ‘Mbarara’ with a 127% gain in PGS yield, 75% gain in dry matter yield three months after sowing, 11% gain in overall dry matter yield and 17% gain in dry matter yield under frequent clipping, compared with the standard ‘Mbarara’.

‘Mbarara’ entries were the best in PGS yield, herbage yield and % dry matter. ‘Masaba’ entries were better in persistence, while the late-heading ‘Pokot’ entries were the poorest in PGS yield, herbage yield and persistence.

Within varieties, yield of PGS dropped progressively and sharply in later maturity classes, whereas dry matter yields were largely unaffected by heading date. Thus late-heading selections dropped below the standard varieties in PGS yield but remained above the standard varieties in dry matter yield.

Early-heading selections were generally more persistent than late-heading selections.