
%0 Journal Article
%A Easton, H. S. 
%A Mackay, A. D. 
%A Lee, J. 
%T Genetic variation for macro- and micro-nutrient concentration in perennial ryegrass (<emph type="2">Lolium perenne</emph> L.)
%J Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
%D 1997/06/04
%V 48
%N 5
%P 657-666
%K plant nutrients, animal nutrients, herbage mineral content, heritability.
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/A96086
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/A96086 
%X A perennial ryegrass breeding pool showed significant genetic variation for concentrations in leaf of 8 of 16 macro- and micro-nutrients measured. Narrow sense heritabilities (h2) ranged from 0 (B, Zn) to 0&#183;9 (Mn, Na). Families selected for high and low herbage P concentrations (h2 = 0&#183;4) showed consistent behaviour over a range of soil P treatments in a separate experiment. Families similarly selected for herbage K concentrations (h2 = 0&#183;15) did not show such consistent response in a later experiment. High soil K reduced herbage Mg concentrations, but family means for herbage Mg and herbage K concentrations were not correlated. The data show that selection for herbage content of Mg, Na, or P is likely to be successful, but that herbage K is not simply regulated. These results have implications for livestock Mg metabolism, for efficiency of P and K use in mixed legume-based pastures, and for P and K wastage from pastures. 
