44. Volume 15- Number 2 - IP Australia

DESCRIPTIONS
PLANT VARIETIES JOURNAL 2002 VOL 15 NO. 2
TIME OF MATURITY
early to medium late
medium to early
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Trifolium pratense
Red Clover
‘Crossway’
Application No: 2002/091 Accepted: 27 May 2002.
Applicant: AgResearch Limited, Palmerston North, New
Zealand.
Agent: Denis McGrath, Drumcondra, VIC.
Characteristics (Table 43, Figure 58) Ploidy: diploid.
Plant: growth habit prostrate, natural height in spring short,
width broad, maturity medium. Stem: density very high,
length long (59.4cm), thickness thin (2.80mm), intensity of
anthocyanin colouration medium, density of hairs medium,
internode length (at 4 th internode) medium to long
(11.7cm), number of internodes per stem medium to high
(mean 12.1). Leaf: shape of medial leaflet ovate, length of
medial leaflet medium to short (22.9mm), width of medial
leaflet narrow (8.9mm), frequency of plants with white
marks very high (98%), intensity of green colour in spring
light. Time of flowering: medium (41.3 days from 1 st Nov).
Flower: colour medium purple 45% RHS 77C-D, dark
purple 54% RHS 77B. Seed: colour of coat multicoloured,
distribution of colour approximately even.
Origin and Breeding Phenotypic selection followed by
polycross: ‘Crossway’ originated from selections within 27
naturalised populations in Spain and Portugal collected in
1986 by consensual arrangement with relevant authorities.
Several plants from each population were grown at
Palmerston North, New Zealand from 1987-9; and about 60
were then removed and inter-pollinated in isolation. The
parent plants were characterised by semi-prostrate growth
habit, variable formonenetin levels, variable stem thickness,
sparse to dense stem density and variable flowering. The
seed harvested was bulked, grown and further selections
made for prostrate and creeping habit in grazed swards for
two generations. In 1995, about 250 plants were potted and
measured for formononetin levels in leaves and scored for
habit. Those with lowest levels of formononetin and
prostrate habit were inter-pollinated and further selections
continued each year for these characteristics until 1998. The
selected plants were inter-pollinated and a further selection
made for high seed yield. The final generation of selection
for habit and low formononetin was harvested in 1999 as
nucleus seed and code named GF67 and later named
‘Crossway’. Selection criteria: growth habit, formononetin
levels in leaves and potential seed yield. Propagation: seed.
Breeder: Dr W. (Bill) Rumball, AgResearch Grasslands,
Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Choice of Comparators The grouping characteristic used
in identifying the most similar varieties of common
knowledge was – Ploidy: diploid. On this basis,
‘Broadway’, ‘Sensation’ ‘Grasslands Hamua’. ‘Grasslands
Colenso’, ‘Grasslands Turoa’, ‘Astred’. ‘Redwest’,
‘Redquin’, ‘Quinequeli’, ‘Renegade’ and ‘PAC 19’ were
included in the PBR trial as comparators. The parental
plants were not included because ‘Crossway’ differed from
the parents in having a more prostrate growth habit and
lower levels of formonenetin in leaf levels (Dr W. (Bill)
Rumball pers.comm.). ‘Grasslands G27’ was not included
as it is a tetraploid variety.
Comparative Trial Comparators: Location: AgResearch
Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New
Zealand (Latitude 40º23′ South, elevation 33m), autumnsummer
2000-2002. Conditions: plants raised from seed
sown on 22/3/00 (trial 1) and 15/3/01 (trial 2) in seed flats
in controlled glasshouse conditions. Plants trimmed on
28/4/00 (trial 1) and 15/3/01 (trial 2) to enhance
establishment and placed in the open for hardening. Plants
transplanted into open field site on 8/7/00 (trial 1) and 8-
11/6/01 (trial 2) at 60cm between plants and 120cm
between plots. Trial design: randomised block of 10 plots of
10 plants of each variety arranged in a completely
randomised design in each block. Measurements: from all
available plants.
Prior Applications and Sales
Country Year Current Status Name Applied
New Zealand 2001 Applied ‘Crossway’
Prior sale nil.
Description: Jeff E. Miller, AgResearch Grasslands, Palmerston North,
NZ.
Table 43 Trifolium varieties
‘Crossway’ *‘Broadway’ *‘Sensation’ *‘G. Hamua’ *‘G. Colenso’*‘G. Turoa’ *‘Astred’ *‘Redwest’ *‘Redquin’ *‘Quinqueli’ *‘Renegade’ *‘PAC19’
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DAYS TO MEAN FLOWERING (Days from 1st flower on 1/11/2000)
mean 41.3 42.6 42.0 46.2 46.0 74.5 42.7 34.5 49.0 53.6 34.7 61.9
std deviation 8.67 9.45 12.5 16.2 13.8 7.0 12.7 12.2 7.4 5.8 15.1 14.8
LSD/sig 4.9 ns ns P≤0.01 ns P≤0.01 ns P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01
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STEM LENGTH (cm)
mean 59.4 64.7 63.2 66.6 60.7 79.0 80.7 56.6 72.5 95.5 64.5 75.5
std deviation 12.2 11.9 13.5 18.0 15.6 10.0 18.5 15.2 13.6 17.3 16.2 16.9
LSD/sig 6.5 ns ns P≤0.01 ns P≤0.01 P≤0.01 ns P≤0.01 P≤0.01 ns P≤0.01
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STEM THICKNESS (mm)
mean 2.80 3.15 3.82 3.79 3.45 3.75 3.57 3.76 3.87 3.84 4.30 4.51
std deviation 0.38 0.44 0.56 0.60 0.40 0.45 0.49 0.62 0.57 0.45 0.69 0.70
LSD/sig 0.27 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01 P≤0.01
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