Titel: Quality over quantity? The optimized allocation of quality samples of perennial ryegrass in Bavarian cultivar trials
Abstract:
In Germany, federal states perform multi-environment trials (METs) called Landessortenversuche (LSV) to evaluate cultivars post-registration aiming to select the most suitable cultivars for a specific region. For perennial ryegrass, selection is mainly based on yield data, though the Bavarian State Research Center has collected additional quality data for internal research, which has not yet been used in selection. Due to technical and financial constraints, only a limited number of samples can be sent to the laboratory each year, leading to some single-plot samples being mixed across replicates for analysis. This study aimed to find the optimal allocation of single-plot and mixed samples for quality parameters of perennial ryegrass across Bavarian testing sites. It presents the characteristics and challenges of the analysis of perennial ryegrass data and proposes a strategy to handle separate year effects like sowing, harvest, and calendar years. The results highlight the most effective sampling methods to enhance cultivar evaluation for quality traits in Bavarian perennial ryegrass trials.
Biography:
Anne-Katrin Gorn completed her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural sciences and her master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Hohenheim, where she developed a strong knowledge in Agricultural Sciences. During her studies, she also worked as a tutor for statistics and biometrics at the Biostatistics Unit, gaining valuable knowledge in biostatistics and experience in its practical applications. Since 2024, she has been working at the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL), where she applies her combined expertise in agriculture and statistics to analyse trial data of perennial ryegrass. In collaboration with Professor Piepho from the Biostatistics Unit at the University of Hohenheim, she is currently pursuing her PhD.
