THE GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF PRAIRIE GRASS (Bromus catharticus Vahl) IN ARGENTINA: SYNTHESIS OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND ADVANCES

Abstract

The prairie grass (Bromus catharticus Vahl) is the annual/biennial native forage grass of temperate climates of most importance and diffusion in Argentina. Several authors have studied the phenotypic variability in morphophysiological characters in cultivars and native populations of prairie grass. The first commercial cultivars were heterogeneous populations that were considered the best adapted in the temperate region of Argentina. Genetic, agronomic and molecular characterization of the selection base populations and of the germplasm conserved in the active bank of INTA Pergamino, contributed to knowing and conserving the available genetic diversity and, at the same time, provided usable genetic variability in breeding. The most representative cultivars considered in this work were Pergamino Martín Fierro MAG; Fierro Plus INTA, Bar INTA 200, Rosalía INTA and INTA Calvu, in which technological packages associated with the utilization in animal production were developed. Key words: prairie grass, cultivars, germplasm, plant breeding