Research on Seed Yield and Quality of Pasture Species Introduced into Yunnan Province, South-West China

786 pasture grass and legume cultivars and breeding materials were introduced into Yunnan from 18 countries by The Yunnan Livestock and Pasture Development Project during 1983-1990. Among these 86 cultivars of 48 species showed good adaption and ·produced high yields of dry matter. Research was undertaken on the seed yield and quality of the 86 cultivars in 1985-1990 at lO different sites over the province• 3 tropical, 5 inter-grade tropical-temperate, and 2 temperate. Results showed that some of the most valuable cultivars had high seed yield with good quality, such as Uniharvest lupin (Lupimus augustifolius), Haifa white clover (Trifolium repens}, Calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides), Safari Kenya white clover (Trifolium semipilosum), Miles lotononis (Lotononis bainesii), siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureus), Hitachi Aoba Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), Australia phalaris (Plialaris aquatica), Narok setaria (Setaria sphacelata), Rodds Bay plicatulum (Paspalum plicatulum), and Pioneer Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), Pure live seed % of all the seed was at an acceptable standard. It has been found that 48 cultivars of 28 species of the introduced materials could be used for commercial seed production in the province.