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Abstract: In forage grasses, vegetative and reproductive investments are major determinants of yield and persistence. A survey of the diversity of vegetative and reproductive investment traits was carried out on 213 perennial ryegrass genotypes, representing 51 natural European accessions. Plants were phenotyped for traits related to leaf elongation, tillering, reproductive investment and heading date, at two locations with markedly different climates. Strong genetic effects for all traits were found. Interactions between genotype and location were moderate. Plants showed stronger spring leaf growth, lower numbers of tillers and higher reproductive investments at Lusignan (France) than at Melle (Belgium). Plant growth rate and tillering capacity were genetically nearly independent suggesting breeding for both traits simultaneously and independently should be possible. A high genetic diversity was observed for all traits. This diversity was structured in three main clusters. One cluster comprised early‐flowering genotypes with high reproductive investments and high spring growth rates. The remaining genotypes fell into two clusters based on differences in tillering capacity. Clear links were found between traits and the climatic conditions of the region of origin of the accessions. Autumn growth rate was positively correlated with solar radiation at the region of origin in October and February. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long growing season, mediated by the ability to grow at low temperatures early in the season, can result in higher yields in biomass of crop Miscanthus. In this paper, the chilling tolerance of two highly productive Miscanthus genotypes, the widely planted Miscanthus × giganteus and the Miscanthus sinensis genotype 'Goliath', was studied. Measurements in the field as well as under controlled conditions were combined with the main purpose to create basic comparison tools in order to investigate chilling tolerance in Miscanthus in relation to its field performance. Under field conditions, M. × giganteus was higher yielding and had a faster growth rate early in the growing season. Correspondingly, M. × giganteus displayed a less drastic reduction of the leaf elongation rate and of net photosynthesis under continuous chilling stress conditions in the growth chamber. This was accompanied by higher photochemical quenching and lower nonphotochemical quenching in M. × giganteus than that in M. sinensis 'Goliath' when exposed to chilling temperatures. No evidence of impaired stomatal conductance or increased use of alternative electron sinks was observed under chilling stress. Soluble sugar content markedly increased in both genotypes when grown at 12°C compared to 20°C. The concentration of raffinose showed the largest relative increase at 12°C, possibly serving as a protection against chilling stress. Overall, both genotypes showed high chilling tolerance for C plants, but M. × giganteus performed better than M. sinensis 'Goliath'. This was not due to its capacity to resume growth earlier in the season but rather due to a higher growth rate and higher photosynthetic efficiency at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]