Use of electrophoretic techniques to identify the proportion of an improved white clover cultivar (‘Grasslands Kopu’) in a mixed sward

Abstract

The population allele frequencies of the phosphoglucoisomerase-2 allozyme were determined for the two components of a mixed sward of white clover. The proportion of the improved cultivar Grasslands Kopu present in the sward following 10 years of grazing by sheep was estimated electrophoretically at43 ± 8%. This result is compared with results from visual assessment of plants in the field and plants collected and grown in the glasshouse. The results support previous evidence of the value of using electrophoretic techniques to study competition in pastures. Their application in this context is discussed. The new large-leaved cultivar Kopu was persistant in this trial.

Keywords:

• phosphoglucoisomerase-2
• allozymes
• Trifolium repens L.
• electrophoretic technique
• ‘Grasslands Kopu’