Evaluation of Lolium perenne L. wild ecotypes of Ukrainian origin in Lithuania

The plants of 23 wild populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were collected in 2006 and 2007 in the natural habitats of grasses in West Ukraine (Prikarpatja, Karpat and Zakarpatja region). These populations and 2 Ukrainian varieties were planted in 2008 and 2009 into the germplasm collection at the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture. In the collection trials the following parameters were assessed: winter damage, beginning of heading, growth at the beginning of vegetation and re-growth after cuts, plant height, leaf colour, flag leaf length and width, dry matter yield, disease incidence and chemical composition. The Ukrainian wild populations distinguished by winter hardiness, fast spring growth, high dry matter yield and forage quality under Lithuanian conditions. The plants of the wild Ukrainian populations were shorter, with narrower and shorter flag leaves and more sensitive to crown rust and leaf spot pathogens, compared with the Lithuanian varieties. The Ukrainian varieties exhibited early heading and worse chemical composition, compared with the standard Lithuanian variety ʹZvilgeʹ.