Adaptation of perennial triticeae to the eastern Central Great Plains

Abstract

The tribe Triticeae contains over 250 perennial species that are components of grasslands in the temperate and sub-arctic regions of the world and includes some of the world's most valuable forage and rangeland species. Many of these species had not been evaluated previously in the Central Great Plains, USA. A subset of the germplasm of the tribe Triticeae which included over 100 accessions of 55 different species was evaluated in a replicated, space-planted trial in eastern Nebraska during 1994-1996 to determine the survival and forage productivity of the accessions. The evaluated accessions were representative of perennial Triticeae genera and genomes. Perennial grasses of the Triticeae are based on the P, St, H, Ns, E, W, Y genomes and an unknown Xm genome(s). Triticeae that survived and had acceptable forage yields during the period of the trial were the Agropyron's-crested wheatgrasses (PP and PPPP genomes), Psathyrostachys-Russian wildryes (NsNs genomes), Thinopyron's-intermediate and tall wheatgrasses (EEEEStSt and EEEEEEStSt genomes), some Elymus (StStHH genomes), several Leymus (NsNsXmXm genomes), and Pascopyrum-western wheatgrass (StStHHNsNsXmXm genomes). Several Leymus species had not been evaluated previously in this region but showed considerable potential and merit additional evaluation, including L. chinensis, L. akmolinensi, L. racemosus, L. sabulosus, and L. secalinus. Species with only the H genome (Hordeum) and St genome (Pseudoroegneria) were not adapted to the region because of poor survival or low productivity. The study provides an example of how the rapidly emerging field of genomics can have practical applications to grasslands and rangelands.