IMPROVED DROUGHT RESISTANCE IN INTROGRESSION LINES DERIVED FROM LOLIUM-MULTIFLORUM X FESTUCA-ARUNDINACEA HYBRIDS

In a back-crossing programme involving Lolium multiflorum (the recurre nt parent) and Festuca arundinacea, the diploid L. multiflorum phenoty pe was rapidly recovered with the inclusion, in some progeny, of a sma ll number of genes from the fescue parent. In field drought trials der ivatives of these backcross populations were on average less drought r esistant than the L. multiflorum parental populations, but 3 % of indi viduals were as drought resistant as F. arundinacea. After only one cy cle of selection and polycrossing these drought-resistant Lolium-like plants, the mean drought resistance of most progeny lines was signific antly improved, in some cases to near that of F. arundinacea. Availabl e evidence strongly indicates that this improved drought resistance wa s due to the transfer of genetic material from Festuca into Lolium. Th ese populations will contribute to variety improvement and to our unde rstanding of the genetics and physiology of drought resistance.