Genetic variability in forage yield and quality in reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea L.

Abstract

Reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea L., is a widely distributed and adapted species. Schoth (1929) reported that it was found in the United States from the New England States westward to the Pacific Coast and as far south as Tennessee. Reed canarygrass is native to the temperate portions of Europe, Asia and North America. According to Anderson (1961), the species has been found throughout most of the northern hemisphere and, as introductions, on all of the continents in the southern hemisphere except Antarctica. Schoth (1929) reported that, in the United States, reed canarygrass was first cultivated in the Coquille Valley of Coos County, Oregon about 1885. There are indications (Arnv et al.. 1929; Schoth, 1929; Alway, 1931) that the species was cultivated in England in 1824 and in Germany about 1850. According to Trumble (1933), reed canarygrass was evidently in general use as a fodder plant in southern Sweden as early as 1749. Agronomic characteristics Reed canarygrass is generally considered to be adapted to marshes, river banks and moist places; however, Hilkins and Hughes (1932) found it to be more drought resistant than 12 other grasses including smooth bromegrass and orchard grass. Similar results were obtained by the Illinois Agriculture Experiment Station (1937). They observed that reed canarygrass withstood drought better than the other grasses under test and was the only one to make active vegetative growth during July of a 4 dry year. According to Evans and Ely (1941) reed canarygrass. In contrast to smooth bromegrass, was not winter hardy at College, Alaska 64° 51' north latitude. They also observed that leaves of reed canarygrass were more sensitive to frost than leaves of timothy, red top, Kentucky bluegrass, and some other northern meadow and pasture grasses. Wllklns and Hughes (1932) reported that over a four-year period reed canarygrass yielded the most hay of seven grasses tested. Smooth brome grass and orchardgrass produced 70 percent and 40 percent as much bay respectively as reed canarygrass. Hashko and Pennington (1956) obtained average seasonal hay yields of 3.45, 2.75, 3.03 and 3.24 tons per acre from pure stands of orchardgrass, bromegrass, tall fescue and reed canary grass, respectively, over three years and four locations in Pennsylvania.