Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of hybridization with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum LAM.) on the forage quality of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea SCHREB.) cultivars. Six tall fescue cultivars (Kentucky 31, Manade, Maris Kasba, Tallmo, Pastuca and Yamanami) and their 29 intergeneric F_1 hybrids with Italian ryegrass (cv. Waseaoba) were grown under field conditions and harvested at the heading stage in the 1st and 2nd harvest years ; their neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin contents were compared. The NDF, ADF and lignin contents of Kentucky 31, Manade and Maris Kasba were decreased by hybridization with Italian ryegrass, whereas no definite changes in the contents were observed in Tallmo, Pastuca and Yamanami. On the basis of the results, it was concluded that the effect of hybridization on the forage quality likely varies among tall fescue cultivars.
