Long‐term trends in the genotypic integrity, phenotype and reproductive development of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) populations in New Zealand dairy pastures: Implications for pasture persistence

Failure of perennial ryegrass‐based pastures to persist beyond 3 years post‐sowing is an increasing threat to the sustainability of livestock industries in the north of New Zealand. Little is known of the long‐term responses of plants and populations to the environmental stresses responsible for persistence failure, or the effects of ryegrass genetics on those responses. Plants were collected from 10‐year‐old pastures sown in two environments (Waikato, North Island: warm‐temperate, summer/autumn dry; Canterbury, South Island: cool temperate, irrigated) to four ryegrass functional types and grazed by dairy cattle. Surviving plants in Canterbury pastures were almost all true‐to‐type for the original genotype, whereas there was substantial ingress of volunteer plants in the diploid cultivars in Waikato. Plants confirmed as true‐to‐type were compared to reference plants grown from the original seed lines. Leaf mass was lower in survivor plants than in reference plants for all functional types. This effect was reversed by recruitment of new plants from seed in a grazing deferment treatment applied at the Waikato site 18 months before plant collection, in a manner consistent with epigenetic control. Reproductive development was delayed by 4–6 days in survivors of mid‐ and late flowering diploid cultivars: this effect appeared to be the result of true genetic differentiation. There was less aftermath heading in the Canterbury survivors, but not Waikato survivors, compared with the reference plants. The relevance of these findings for ryegrass survival strategies and targeted selection of traits for improved persistence is discussed.