Forage Variety Development and Registration Procedures

1. Principles of Selection, breeding and Variety Development of pastures

Almost all tropical pasture cultivars have been developed and released as commercial cultivars in
Australia from the material they collected mainly from Africa and to some extent from tropical
America.

The owners of the original germplasm have not benefited from their forage and pasture genetic
resources to any significance. They have remained as importers of pasture technology at
exorbitant price regardless of their ownership of the original material.

Nowadays, awareness of the benefit of the resource has increased among developing nations and
pasture breeding centers have emerged like the Kitale center of Kenya.

1.1. Criteria for selection

In developing productive pasture cultivars through breeding, we must select ecotypes that
possess desirable characteristics outlined below.

1. High dry matter herbage and protein yield

2. Responsive to addition of fertilizers
3. Efficient in N2 fixation
4. Persistent in sward despite plant competition and stress conditions
5. Adaptation to a range of soil types
6. High production of seed
7. Resistant to pest and diseases
8. High palatability and digestibility
9. Freedom from undesirable compounds

2. Stages of Evaluation

Prior to evaluation plant introduction is organized as follows.

Acquisition- introduce new accessions into the country

Documentation- organize passport data on accession sheets or computer database
Quarantine checkup- plants should be raised in a glasshouse to build up seed stock and
eliminate infected material

Evaluation steps

1. Primary evaluation (1-3 years)

-Undertaken in a plant introduction site, which is isolated and provided with irrigation.
-Plants must be provided with all nutrients (regardless of the screening objective)
-Include standard varieties
-Keep basic records over the growing season viz:
a. Growth habit (erect, prostrate, climbing)
b. Leafiness (Leaf/Stem Ratio)
c. Time of flowering (50%, 100%)
d. Seed set (Date of seed head emergence; seed filling; milk/dough stage)
e. Effect of high/low temperature (periodic plant count)
f. Regeneration after drought/frost period
g. Incidence of pest and diseases (scored on a scale of 1-10)
h. Nodulation (legumes) (count nodules; cross cut and observe red pigment)

2. Field agronomic evaluation

-Examine the agronomic characteristics under field sward conditions

-Observe competition, stress effects of water, nutrients, pests, and diseases
-However, nutrient deficiency must be eliminated
-Measure yield and distribution of yield over season
-Assess vigor of the sward through estimation of botanical composition
-Estimate persistence of sown species by plant counts at establishment and subsequent survival
-Undertake invitro digestibility studies
-Undertake intake studies with penned sheep
Then promote promising lines for final testing

3. Final stage evaluation

The objective of the final stage is to assess species potential in terms of animal production as
well as to examine its compatibility with associated species and define special nutrient
requirements.
Experiments:

1. Compatibility of grass/legume mixed swards

2. Soil nutrient type and levels
3. Animal evaluation using penned cattle or sheep
National Variety Trial (NVT) (Multi-Locational Trial)
• The selected species is tested under a range of environments to confirm its value as
pasture plant.
• Consider 3 – 5 locations
Experiments:
1. Manageable number of varieties/accessions
2. Observe specific/general adaptation
3. Select the best 3 candidate varieties for VVT

Variety Verification Trial (VVT)

• The selected candidate varieties (1 – 3) are tested at least in three agro-ecologies, at 1)
station and 2) two on-farm sites.
• Non-replicated plots 10m by 10 m (100 m2)
Activities:
1. Technical Committee appointed by the NVRC (MOA) will evaluate the candidate
varieties
2. Examines stand vigor and resistance to diseases and pests
3. Interviews the farmer for important attributes

Variety Registration and/or Release

The objectives of Registration/Release include:

-To obviate duplication and confusion in naming new cultivars
-To provide informative description of new cultivars to users
-The variety must have some character of merit; have uniformity or genetic stability

• Successful varieties are recommended for registration/release by the TC

• The standing committee on an annual meeting approves the varieties for
registration/release

Requirements:
1. The breeder institute is obliged to multiply and maintain every year a BREEDER
SEED that is true to type and the quantity must be at least sufficient to sow a
hectare of land.
2. The registered/released variety must exceed the standard check by some 10%
yield advantage.
3. The variety may qualify for General or Specific adaptation ecology.
4. For each variety the breeder has to submit a GIVEN NAME and variety
DESCRIPTOR (PASSPORT DATA).