Evaluation of Genetic Diversity in Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) Germplasms

Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) is an important perennial crop for harvesting wet forage yield. In order to evaluate yield potential of 36 accessions a triple Lattice design was carried out in agricultural research center of Zanjan province during 2009-11. Results analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences for traits of heading dates, anthesis, plant height, spike length and 1000-kernel weight. Accessions of 1261 (from USA origin) with 4524.3kg/ha and 628 (from Bijar-Iran origin) with 2446.8 kg/ha had the highest and lowest wet forage yield, respectively. In addition accessions of 2310 (from Zanjan-Iran origin) with 2101.5 kg/ha and 411 (from Ardabil-Iran origin) with 1200.3 kg/ha had the highest and the lowest dry forage yield, respectively. Wet dry weight remained at backward regression model as independent trait for predicting dry forage yield. Path analysis revealed that wet forage yield (0.66) and 1000-kernel weight (0.2) had direct and positive effects on dry forage yield. Accessions characterized in three groups based on ward method of cluster analysis. At first group settled genotypes with high dry forage yield and moderate wet forage and plant height. Second group consist with four accessions with higher wet and dry forage yield. Fourteen accessions in third group had the least wet and dry forage yield and plant height.

Genetic variation, Dactylis glomerata, Multivariate analysis