Pars, new cultivar of Persian clover, suitable for cold and tempered regions

Advantage of native populations of Persian clover to increase quantity and quality of the forage yield, high diversity among the native clover populations of Iran and the lack of registered cultivars driven from these landraces are important reasons for introducing new clover cultivars with native origin in the country. Pars cultivar was selected by pure line selection method in 1999 from 22 native multi cuts clover populations. In 2000-2001, the seed of primary population were planted and superior single plants in each row were selected based on comparison with the native population of Baladeh Kazerun as check cultivar. Then, the selected single plants (top 150 lines) were compared in an alpha lattice design with two replications in 2002-2003. Selected top lines during 2004-2005 were compared in three regions of Karaj, Shahrekord and Broujerd in a semi-final performance trial. To determine the stability and value for cultivation and use (VCU) of the top 15 selected lines, these lines were compared in a completed randomized block design in five regions of Karaj, Boroujerd, Shahrekord, Arak and Sanandaj in 2006-2007. Evaluation of the reaction of selected Iranian clover lines to rust and black clover spot in 2007-2008 cropping year was performed in Boroujerd station under natural infection in the field. To determine the quality and nutritional value of selected lines, an experiment was conducted in Karaj in 2008-2009 cropping year. The results showed that promising Iranian clover lines KPC-EqlidFars-78-4 with 19.9% protein content was superior to the control. In the cropping year 2015- 2016, a research-extension experiment was conducted to compare the forage yield of promising Iranian clover lines KPC-EqlidFars-78-4 with a local control (Harati) in Boroujerd. The results showed that line KPC-EqlidFars-78-4 under farmers' conditions had 72.65 tons per hectare of wet forage yield and 11.56 tons per hectare of dry matter yield with 10.60 and 12.20% superiority to the local control, respectively, Its appropriate optimal use of spring rainfall due to its high growth rate and possibility of mechanized harvesting, due to standing form and high height, early maturity and shorter growing period can result in less irrigation in one growing season, high forage yield potential, especially in onset of the season and also its resistance to rust and black spot diseases that is common in the native population, were some important characteristics of Pars cultivar for release and cultivation in the cold and temperate regions.