‘Stabilizer’, a New Low‐Growing Siberian Wheatgrass Cultivar for Use on Semiarid Lands

Rangeland revegetation is necessary to stabilize disturbed sites and increase forage production, but frequently fails due to a variety of environmental and biotic factors. Plant breeding efforts in perennial cool-season grasses result in the development of potential cultivars that must be evaluated in multi-environment trials to determine their level of adaptation. This study evaluated 49 cultivars for stand frequency and dry matter yield over five years at five environments in the Intermountain and High Plains regions of the United States. The results were significant differences among the included cultivars for both traits across and within environments. Yet, there was also crossover genotype × environment interaction. Thus, highest performing cultivars were to some extent dependent on the environment. Hycrest II crested wheatgrass and Vavilov II Siberian wheatgrass possessed high stand frequency (>80 %) and dry matter yield (>800 kg·ha−1) across environments and within environments except at the Eureka, UT environment where they possessed low stand frequency. These cultivars, and species, also possessed high productivity and stability for both traits. Thus, breeding efforts in the species resulted in widely adapted cultivars that may lack specific adaptation to some environments.

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Breeding of the Crested Wheatgrass Complex (Agropyron spp.) for North American Temperate Rangeland Agriculture and Conservation

Robins

Jensen

2020

Agronomy

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Species from the crested wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.) complex have been widely used for revegetation and grazing on North American rangelands for over 100 years. Focused crested wheatgrass breeding has been ongoing since the 1920s. These efforts resulted in the development of 18 cultivars adapted to western USA and Canadian growing conditions. These cultivars establish rapidly, persist, and provide soil stabilization and a reliable feed source for domestic livestock and wildlife. To address ecological concerns and increase rangeland agriculture efficiency, crested wheatgrass breeding requires new emphases and techniques. This review covers the history of crested wheatgrass breeding and genetics in North America and discusses emerging methods and practices for improvement in the future.

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‘Stabilizer’, a New Low‐Growing Siberian Wheatgrass Cultivar for Use on Semiarid Lands

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

Establishment and Trends in Persistence of Selected Perennial Cool-season Grasses

Establishment and Trends in Persistence of Selected Perennial Cool-season Grasses

Genotype × Environment Interaction Patterns in Rangeland Variety Trials of Cool-Season Grasses in the Western United States

Breeding of the Crested Wheatgrass Complex (Agropyron spp.) for North American Temperate Rangeland Agriculture and Conservation

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