Ex-situ evaluations of Lolium perenne L. ecotypes collected in Bulgaria, Croatia, Spain and Ireland reveal valuable breeding material

Between 2002 and 2010, a total of 366 Lolium perenne L. genebank accessions originating from collection trips to Bulgaria, Croatia, Spain and Ireland were evaluated in field experiments together with commercial check varieties at the island of Poel in northern Germany. Ten plant parameters were visually scored, including the development before and after winter, spring growth, heading, plant biomass and the incidence of disease symptoms. The ecotypes collected in Croatia and Spain achieved high scores for all the growth parameters evaluated, particularly in the first and second experimental year, and were well comparable to the check varieties. The Bulgarian ecotypes exhibited a low plant biomass development after the first cut and before winter but a high productivity in spring and a low susceptibility to rust infection. The ecotypes from Ireland revealed a low aftermath heading in the second experimental year and a superior growth after winter in the third year. In conclusion, the L. perenne ecotypes studied showed a high variability regarding important agronomic attributes and several accessions were identified that exceeded the average performance of the check varieties.