Forage Annual Ryegrass

Origin

Florlina (formerly NC/FL X 1997 LRCT) is a select annual diploid ryegrass that was jointly developed by Gordon Prine, the University of Florida and Paul Mueller, at North Carolina State University.

This cultivar was developed from a vigorous ecotype selected in 1989 at the Reedy Creek Field Laboratory, Raleigh, North Carolina. Hand selected seed collected in the spring of 1989 was increased during 1989-90 and 1990-91 at the Lake Wheeler Field Laboratory also in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1991 seed was sent out across the southern region for testing. In test sites in Florida, Mississippi and Texas the ecotype was found to have low resistance to crown rust (Puccina coronataj).

Florlina was developed by intercrossing and selection of ecotype NCSU 91 annual ryegrass which had good cold tolerance but poor crown rust resistance and FL X 1993 LR select, an advanced breeding population from Surrey with a high level of crown rust resistance. Breeding nurseries were established in North Carolina and Florida during the 1993-94.1995-96 and in Florida in 1996 97.

A critical stage in the development of this new cultivar occurred in 1995-96 at the Upper Mountain Research Station where the temperature dropped to -6°F and only 78 plants survived from the nursery planting. These 78 plants represent about 50% of the germplasm in the NC/FL X 1997 LRCT population.

The NC/FL X 1997 LRCT select seed produced in Florida was sent to North Carolina where breeder’s seed was grown at three locations, Raleigh at University Farms, Upper Mountain Research Station near Laurel Springs and at the Mountain Research Station near Waynesville. A total of about two acres of breeder’s seed of NC/FL X 1997 LRCT was planted and approximately 400 Ibs of breeders seed was harvested. The new cultivar Florlina has good seed and forage production, a high level of crown rust resistance and excellent cold tolerance.

Advanced generation evaluation (NC/FL X 1996-7 LR) Florlina.

Data collected from the University of Florida crown rust nursery indicated that NC-Frioflor is highly resistant to crown rust with an average rust index of 2.35. Entries with values between 0 and 3 are considered to be highly resistant. Forage yield data from Florida in 1996-97 indicated good yielding ability in the lower south. Percent stand rating, vigor and growth index values were among the best for the group of diploids tested. Forage yields observed from the upper south in North Carolina and Oklahoma in 1997-98 were excellent. In both of these tests NC/FL-advanced generation materials placed in the group of highest yielding entries.

Florlina is a cold tolerant, rust resistant cultivar with good yielding ability. It is expected to perform best in the Upper South, perhaps expanding the use of annual ryegrass to the north of its present zone. In addition to forage production, it is expected that Florlina will have multiple uses as a cold tolerant cover crop where quick establishment and cold tolerance are needed to prevent erosion on construction sites, roadsides, or in horticultural nursery applications. Preliminary tests in survival (highest stand % for test avg. = 85%). Breeders seed increase blocks at the Upper Mountain Research Station and at the Mountain Research Station during 1997-98 survived low temperatures of -1°F and + 1°F, respectively.

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	PURE GENIUS - Florlina Florlina (formerly NC/FL X 1997 LRCT) is a select annual diploid ryegrass that was jointly developed by Gordon Prine, the University of Florida and Paul Mueller, at North Carolina State University.
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