Evaluation of the Hybrid Clover Breeding Forms and Cultivars of Different Geographical Origin in the Central Black Earth Region

Abstract

The paper reports the evaluation of wild forms of alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum L.) of different geographical origin in the year of sowing (first year grass canopy) under unstable moisture level conditions in the Central Black Earth Region compared to the local varieties. Twenty cultivars and wild forms were studied, including the Novator (standard), Pervenets, and Fregat cultivars, and wild forms from the Northwestern, Central, Volgo-Vyatka, and Central Black Earth Regions, Tatarstan, Chuvashiya, Canada, etc.). The work was carried out in two collection nurseries in the Belgorod oblast on typical black soil in 2022–2023. Novator (standard) and Pervenets, as well as the wild forms from Canada (VIK 8), Tatarstan (VIK no. 753), and the Moscow (M-2/21) and Belgorod (B-2/20) oblasts showed the highest 2-year average of dry matter yield in the year of sowing (0.411–0.504 kg/m²). The M-2/21 form is of particular value. With the dry matter yield in the year of sowing in 2022 at the level of the standard (0.416 kg/m²), this accession gave the yield of 0.672 kg/m² in 2023, which statistically significantly exceed the standard by 0.165 kg/m², or by 32.5%. On average for the 2 years, the samples showed significant morphological diversity and variation in the stem length (43.1–57.6 cm), weight of one stem (1.6–3.5 g), and foliage rate (26.5–50.1%). When evaluating hybrid clover forms for productivity in the year of sowing, the most reliable characters may be stem length (r = 0.514) and weight (r = 0.599), the degree of anthocyanin coloration of the stem (r = 0.501), and leaf area (r = 0.521). Cluster analysis allows for identifying valuable breeding samples based on a combination of correlated breeding traits with high level of significance.