Phalaris arundinacea L.: Variations in Seed Shattering and Related Traits in a Breeding Collection

Reed canary grass is a perennial forage grass species with a high biomass yield potential and a wide adaptability to both, dry and excessive wet growing conditions. Its seed yield depends on number of plants per m2, number of panicles per plant, number of spikelets per panicle as well as flowering time, seed setting, seed development and seed retention at the time of maturity. Unfortunately, in many years seed shattering causes seed yield losses up to 90 %. Because of the limited variation of seed retention in the available germplasm of reed canary grass, a mutation experiment was carried out in 2011 using the alky-lating agent ethyl methanesulfonate. Results of seed shattering and seed yield of single plants, growing in 2011/12 after mutagenic seed treatment are presented for the first time.