DETERMİNATİON OF FORAGE PERFORMANCE OF SOME MEADOW BROMEGRASS (BROMUS RİPARİUS L. ) CLONES İN THRACE REGİON OF TURKEY.

The objective of this study was to determine the forage yield potentials of some meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius L.) clones in Trakya Region of Turkey. Thirty-one meadow bromegrass clones were used as plant material in the study. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design with three replications at the experimental area of Field Crops Department of Agricultural Faculty of Tekirdag Namik Kemal University in 2012-2014. The fresh and hay yields of 31 meadow bromegrass clones selected from a spaced plant nursery were determined in the study. The experiment was carried out two years as the clones were cut two times per year in a growing period. Based on the results of the study, total fresh yield of meadow bromegrass clones varied from 669.00 to 2561.33 kg/da and from 1563.00 to 5610.67 kg/da in the 1st and 2nd years, respectively, and total hay yield varied from 247.00 to 1625.33 kg/da and 540.00 ? 1926.67 kg/da in 1st and 2nd years, respectively. Differences among fresh and hay yields of the clones were found to be statistically very significant (P≤0.01). The clones 314514-II, 315388, 315393, 315393-II, 440207, 536012-I, 536012-III, 536013-I, 536013-II and 536013-III had the highest mean fresh and dry yields, and these clones can be used as parents in policrosses to develop synthetic cultivars for the region