N-22107 
A geneticist at Tifton, Ga., self-pollinates pearl millet. 
Selfed lines are used in studying breeding methods and 
inheritance of specific traits in grasses and legumes. 
BN—29544 
A technician at the U.S. Regional Pasture Research 
Laboratory, University Park, Pa., crosses white clover 
selections. 
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BN—29537 
Alfalfa stem cuttings are rooted in sand. Rapid and 
effective methods of increasing selections vegetatively 
are important in grass and legume improvement. 
Research on Breeding Methods 
Research on breeding methods conducted by Forage 
and Range Research Branch, Crops Research Division, 
is limited to selected species among the 90 grasses and 
30 legumes that are of importance for hay, pasture, 
range, turf, and conservation. 
Breeding perennial grasses and legumes is a compli- 
cated task. Among the factors that make the task 
complicated are the following: 
—Perennial grasses and legumes have more chromo- 
somes than most annuals. The large number of 
chromosomes increases the difficulty in selecting for 
specific characteristics. 
—Most perennial forage species are cross-pollinated 
by wind or by insects. Cross-pollinated plants not 
only produce highly variable progeny but also are difh- 
cult to inbreed. 
—Perennial grasses and legumes often produce poor 
seed yields where they are grown for forage or 
conservation. 
—Perennial species take longer and cost more to 
evaluate than annual species. 
—Collections of plant material are difficult to acquire 
and to maintain. 
