Genetic Variation among Canada Wildrye Accessions from Midwest USA Remnant Prairies for Biomass Yield and other Traits

Abstract

Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis L.) and Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus L.), which are native to the USA, were collected from remnant Midwest prairies. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic variability among the collected accessions for biomass yield and other traits, determine the extent of genotype 3 environment interactions for these traits across Midwest environments, and to determine the relationship between the geographical location of the collection site and evaluation sites for these accessions for plant biomass yield which can be used as a measure of adaptation. Seed collected from six Midwest states was bulked by collection site to form individual accessions. Space transplanted evaluation nurseries were established at Mead, NE, Ames, IA, and West Lafayette, IN, and accessions were evaluated on a plot basis for 2 yr. There was significant genetic variation among accessions for post-heading forage yield, heading date, height, pre-heading in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and crude protein (CP) concentration, and post-heading CP concentration. Strain 3 location (S 3 L) interaction effects were only significant for post-heading IVDMD and height indicating that for the other traits, the relative ranking of the strains was similar at all three locations over the two evaluation years. Regression analyses of the effect of distance of the collection site from the evaluation site (direct, east or west, and north or south) on biomass yield were largely nonsignificant or had very low R 2 values. These regression results along with the nonsignificant S 3 L effects from the analysis of variance indicate that longitudinal or latitudinal adaptation gradients for plant biomass yield are lacking for Canada wildrye accessions from Midwest prairies. All but five of the Canada wildrye accessions had higher biomass yield than the only released cultivar, Mandan, indicating that this germplasm can be used to develop improved cultivars that should be adapted to the region represented by the collection and evaluation sites.

Genetic Variation within and among Wildrye (Elymus canadensis and E. virginicus) Populations from the Southern Great Plains

“…Overlap between some of the CWR and VWR populations is perhaps not surprising. Vogel et al (2006) reported comparable means and ranges for agronomic traits among Midwest populations classified as VWR and CWR. Morphological data, from populations in southern Oklahoma (Nelson and Tyrl, 1978), coupled with additional cytological and allozyme data from Texas populations (Davies, 1977) indicate that gene flow and introgression occurs in the wild between CWR and VWR populations.…”

Virginia Wildrye Persistence and Performance in Riparian Areas

“…Accumulated biomass was removed and discarded in October or November of 2004, 2005, and 2006 by cutting plots to a 7-cm height. Plots were harvested and data collected on plant survival and size in June 2007.…”

“…It was concluded that Virginia wildrye would be better suited for conservation plantings than for forage when used in the northeastern United States. Research in the midwestern United States indicated that Virginia wildrye was less productive than Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis L.; Vogel et al, 2006). Programs such as CREP have created a need for more information on the suitability of locally adapted native grasses for the northeastern United States.…”

Registration of ‘Homestead’ Canada Wildrye

“…Prior to the release of the cultivar Homestead, only one cultivar each of Canada wildrye and Virginia wildrye had been released or developed. ‘Mandan’ Canada wildrye was developed from collections made near Mandan, ND (Alderson and Sharp 1994), and it is not well adapted to the Central Great Plains and Midwest, USA (Vogel et al, 2006). Omaha wildrye is a privately developed Virginia wildrye cultivar that is produced by Stock Seed Farms, Murdock, NE.…”