Indirect selection of forage yield in Italian ryegrass
Andréa Mittelmann, Elizandra Döring Buchweitz, and Eduardo Silveira Goulart
The objective of this work was to estimate correlations between some traits of plant architecture and vigor with dry matter yield, as well as to verify the possibility of indirect selection for forage yield in Lolium multiflorum Lam. Fortyfive plants were individually evaluated 140 days after sowing for vigor, plant height, soil cover, fresh (FMY) and dry matter yield (DMY). The area and volume occupied by the plant were obtained based on height and diameter. Associations of intermediate value were found between most traits and FMY and DMY, except for height. The highest correlation values were between vigor and yield: FMY and DMY (0.90 and 0.84, respectively). Vigor is therefore a suitable trait for indirect preliminary selection of forage yield in this species