b'FESTULOLIUM, THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDSHow a cross between two grasses can fill a niche.Marcel Bruins mbruins@issuesink.comFESTUCA AND LOLIUMare two of the mostmorphologically different and seldom synchronous valuable grass genera, which both have com- in heading. The second is that only in few cases the plementary characteristics that are regarded asparents are of same ploidy. very useful agronomic attributes. In general, LoliumCreating crosses between species on differ-species are known for their palatability, digest- ent ploidy level will both impact the fertility of the ibility and rapid establishment. However, theseoffspring as well as the stabilization of the chromo-Lolium species are generally less tolerant to abioticsomal contributions from each parent, Cernoch stresses, and this is one of the beneficial features ofsays. In all cases, it usually takes several genera-Festuca. The great advantage is that both generations before genetics have stabilized and a uniform are biologically close enough to hybridize, andpopulation has been selected. During this processVladimir Cernoch, DLFplant breeders have been able to produce hybridsthe stability is monitored both phenotypically and of Festuca and Lolium species. Our sister publica- genotypically using an array of molecular markers. tion, European Seed, takes a look at this hybrid,So, development time for Festulolium may easily called Festulolium, which combines Festucas andextend to 20 years, which is more than double of Loliums complementary characteristics.the ordinary breeding scheme for grasses.In regard to the characteristics the breeder Challenges with an Intergeneric Species is looking for in each parental species, Mathieu Brent Stirling, general manager sales at CropmarkWident, head of forage research at DLF, says theBrent Stirling,Seeds, says the biggest challenge is to define theparental species from the Festuca genus are gener- Cropmark Seedscross itself agronomically. Where Cropmark Seedsally interesting for their persistency and tolerance to has for example crossed F. pratensis with L. multi- biotic (disease resistance), abiotic (drought, excess florum where one parent is perennial i.e. F. praten- of water, salt tolerance) stresses and their extensive sis and the other not i.e. L. multiflorumthe crossroot development. The Lolium side is interest-may swing towards annual or perennial types.ing for feeding quality, speed of establishment, Vladimir Cernoch, DLF breeding manager, saysregrowth and its yield potential over the season. when creating new Festulolium varieties, a breederAdvantage in seed production can be inherited has the choice between working with existingfrom both.Festuloliums and combine them to create some- Lukas Wolters from DSV Zaden says he alsoMathieu Wident, DLF thing new or try to generate new hybrids by cross- believes the main problem is to get a good seed ing the parental species.setting with fertile seeds of the offspring in a In the first case, the difficulty is to work with aFestulolium and to keep the stability on the produc-source of material that shows limited variability,tion as it is in the description of the new variety. Cernoch says. In the second case, there are severalFrom the Festuca side, Wolters says they are look-barriers to cross before a successful candidate hasing for high dry matter yield potential and biotic been made.stress resistance components and from the Lolium He states the first barrier is inbreeding. Althoughside, where they want high feeding value, persis-compatible to a certain extent, the two parents aretency and palatability. Lukas Wolters, DSV Zaden 60/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2019'