The project is the follow-up of research project ‘’Genetic variability of red clover and tolerance to abiotic stresses’’ previously funded by Croatian Ministry of Sciences, and regional project ‘’Regional collecting expedition and ex situ conservation of Trifolium pratense L., Festuca pratense Huds., Dactylis glomerata L. and Medicago falcate L.’’ funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Within these research projects seeds of local populations of red clover from the wider area of continental part of Croatia, with the eco-geographic description and floral composition of habitats where local populations were being grown.

 

The trial with 22 members in three repetitions (60 individuals / trial member / repetition), according to RCBD, was set up in the spring of 2010.

 

The plants of local populations and commercial varieties were grown in containers over liquid nutritive layer and planted in the trial with the distance 50 cm × 30 cm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morphological traits were observed at the total number of 2640 plants at the different growing stages (40 plants per population × three repetitions × 22 populations) in 2011, according to IPGRI, UPOV and PVPO descriptors.