Heritability of morphophysiological traits and inbreeding effects in grazing-type lucerne

To estimate heritability and inbreeding in grazing-type lucerne, 14 parent genotypes and their half-sib and selfed progeny were grown under spaced-plant conditions. Dry-matter weight (four cuts), plant height, basal plant diameter, stem density, and late-autumn vegetation were recorded on a plant basis. Genetic coefficients of variation for the three germplasm groups, and broad-sense heritability on a plot basis for parents were computed from variance component estimates; narrow-sense heritability was estimated from progeny-parent regression. Genetic variation was generally greater among selfed than half-sib progeny. Broad-sense heritability was high, while narrow-sense heritability was much lower for all traits except plant diameter. Inbreeding effects, assessed with comparison between parents and selfed progeny, were notable for plant weight and late-autumn vegetation only. The high correlation coefficients computed between parents and either progeny suggested the equivalent value of self- and polycross-progeny tests for selecting superior parents.