The objective of this work was to evaluate forage production and seasonal distribution of locally adapted ryegrass populations in comparison to commercial cultivars. Two experiments were carried out in two different locations of Rio Grande do Sul (Eldorado do Sul - EEA and Veranópolis - EEV), in 2004. Forage production of seven annual ryegrass populations, one Uruguayan cultivar (LE-284), one New Zealand cultivar (Eclipse) were compared to the commercial cultivar, in a total of ten treatments. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replications. Several cuts were performed, followed by morphologic separation of plant parts and drying in order to evaluate dry matter yield of leaves and total dry matter. Ryegrass production varied considerably among populations, indicating the existence of a great variation among them, especially regarding forage seasonal distribution along the growth cycle. At both locations, superior populations were observed in terms of forage production when compared to commercial cultivars, especially the Comum-RS, indicating the possibility of obtaining new cultivars of ryegrass from the locally adapted populations.
genetic improvement; Lolium multiflorum; populations; selection
