University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska 2001 Adaptation of perennial triticeae to the eastern Central Great Plains Kenneth P. Vogel University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Kevin J. Jensen USDA-ARS Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdaarsfacpub Vogel, Kenneth P. and Jensen, Kevin J., "Adaptation of perennial triticeae to the eastern Central Great Plains" (2001). Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty. 1909. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdaarsfacpub/1909 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. J. Range Manage. 54: 674–679 November 2001 Adaptation of perennial triticeae to the eastern Central Great Plains KENNETH P. VOGEL* AND KEVIN J. JENSEN Authors are Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS, 344 Keim Hall, University of Nebraska, P.O. Box 830937, Lincoln, Nebraska 58583-0937 and Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-6300. *Corresponding author, [email protected]. Abstract Resumen La tribu Triticeae contiene más de 250 especies perennes que The tribe Triticeae contains over 250 perennial species that are son componentes de los pastizales de las regiones templadas y components of grasslands in the temperate and sub-arctic subárticas del mundo e incluyen algunas de las especies forra- regions of the world and includes some of the world’s most valu- jeras más valiosas del mundo. Muchas de estas especies no se han able forage and rangeland species. Many of these species had not evaluadas previamente en las Grandes Planicies Centrales de been evaluated previously in the Central Great Plains, USA. A Estados Unidos. Un subgrupo de germoplasma de la tribu subset of the germplasm of the tribe Triticeae which included Triticeae, el cual incluyó mas de 100 entradas de 55 especies over 100 accessions of 55 different species was evaluated in a diferentes, se evaluó en un ensayo repetido en espacio en el este replicated, space-planted trial in eastern Nebraska during de Nebraska durante 1994 a 1996 para determinar la sobre- 1994–1996 to determine the survival and forage productivity of vivencia y productividad de las entradas evaluadas. Las entradas the accessions. The evaluated accessions were representative of evaluadas fueron representativas de generos perennes Triticeae perennial Triticeae genera and genomes. Perennial grasses of the y genomas. Los zacates perennes de la tribu Triticeae están basa- Triticeae are based on the P, St, H, Ns, E, W, Y genomes and an dos en los genomas P, St, H, Ns, E, W, Y y en un genoma(s) unknown Xm genome(s). Triticeae that survived and had accept- desconocido Xm. Los Triticeae que sobrevivieron y tuvieron able forage yields during the period of the trial were the rendimientos de forraje aceptables durante el período del ensayo Agropyron’s - crested wheatgrasses ( PP and PPPP genomes), fueron: los Agropyron’s – “Crested wheatgrasses” (genomas PP y Psathyrostachys- Russian wildryes (NsNs genomes), PPPP), Psathyrostachys – “Russian wildryes” (genomas NsNs), Thinopyron’s-intermediate and tall wheatgrasses (EEEEStSt and Thinopyron’s– “Intermediate” and “Tall wheatgrasses” (geno- EEEEEEStSt genomes), some Elymus (StStHH genomes), several mas EEEEStSt y EEEEEEStSt), algunos Elymus (genomas Leymus (NsNsXmXm genomes), and Pascopyrum-western wheatgrass StStHH ), varios Leymus (genomas NsNsXmXm ) y Pascopyrum (StStHHNsNsXmXm genomes). Several Leymus species had not been – “Western wheatgrass” (genomas StStHHNsNsXmXm). Varias evaluated previously in this region but showed considerable poten- especies de Leymus no habían sido previamente evaluadas en tial and merit additional evaluation, including L. chinensis, L. esta región, pero mostraron un considerable potencial y merecen akmolinensi, L. racemosus, L. sabulosus, and L. secalinus. una evaluación adicional, incluyendo L. chinensis, L. akmolinen- Species with only the H genome (Hordeum) and St genome si, L. racemosus, L. sabulosus y L. secalinus. Especies con solo el (Pseudoroegneria) were not adapted to the region because of poor genoma H (Hordeum) y el genoma St (Pseudoroegneria) no se survival or low productivity. The study provides an example of adaptaron a la región debido a su pobre sobrevivencia y baja how the rapidly emerging field of genomics can have practical productividad. Este estudio provee un ejemplo de cómo el emer- applications to grasslands and rangelands. gente campo de genómicos puede tener aplicaciones prácticas en los zacatales y pastizales. Key Words: Triticeae, Agropyron, Thinopyrum, Elymus, Leymus, Pascopyrum, survival, forage yield primarily of warm-season (C4) grasses or seeded warm-season pastures, are used for summer grazing. The tribe Triticeae contains over 250 cool-season, perennial In the last 25 years, several germplasm collection expeditions species that are components of grasslands in the temperate and have been made in eastern Europe and Asia to collect grass sub-arctic regions of the world. Some Triticeae species such as germplasm, particularly of the Tribe Triticeae. Many of the col- the crested (Agropyron species) and intermediate wheatgrasses lections were made in areas which were previously not open for (Thinopyrum sp.) are important species for revegetating grass- collection. Extensive germplasm collections of Triticeae species lands and retired cropland in the Central Great Plains. There is an currently are available for evaluation. Except for many of the increasing demand for improved cool-season or C3 grasses to Thinopyrum accessions (primarily intermediate wheatgrasses, T. provide high quality forage to livestock during spring, fall, and intermedium, and tall wheatgrasses, T. ponticum) and some crest- early winter in integrated livestock production systems in the cen- ed wheatgrasses (Agropyron spp) most of these accessions have tral Great Plains. In this region rangelands, which are composed not been previously evaluated in the Central Great Plains. The objective of this study was to evaluate species of the peren- Journal Series No. 12175 , Nebraska Agr. Exp. Sta.. nial Triticeae that may have potential for use in grassland agricul- Manuscrpt accepted 15 Jan. 2001. ture in the central Great Plains of the USA and to identify specif- 674 JOURNAL OF RANGE MANAGEMENT 54(6), November 2001 ic genomes within the Triticeae grasses and can be obtained from the USDA Plant complete block with 2 replicates. that are critical for survival and forage Germplasm System. The other accessions Accessions were blocked by genus. productivity in the eastern part of the used in this study are experimental breed- Genera, and species and accessions within Central Great Plains. ing lines maintained by USDA-ARS a genus were randomized within each Previous research summarized by Laboratory at Logan, Ut. or were replicate. Dewey (1984), Wang et al. (1994), and released cultivars (designated cv.) Hand weeding and herbicides were used Asay and Jensen (1996a, 1996b) and oth- obtained by the USDA-ARS grass breed- for weed control. Since some of the ers has demonstrated that perennial grass- ing program at Lincoln, Neb. The acces- species are highly rhizomatous, periodic es of the tribe Triticeae are comprised of sions used in the study (Table 1) were roto-tilling with a heavy duty roto-tiller the genomes P, St, H, Ns, E, W, Y and an chosen to represent the autoploid and allo- was used to keep plants cut back to an area Xm genome of unknown orgin. The cyto- ploid combinations that exist within the of 0.2 m2. The herbicides metolachlor [2- genetic definition of genome, i.e, the hap- perennial Triticeae. Many of the species chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methyl-phenyl)-N- loid set of chromosomes of a diploid were represented by 2 accessions originat- (2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide] species (Shultz-Shaffer 1980) will be used ing from different areas. Seeds of the and imazethapyr {2-[4,5-dihydro-4- in this report. The classification of the genus Australopyrum which are comprised methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imi- Triticeae has been and remains a matter of of the W genome were not available for dazol-2-yl]-5-ethyl-3-pyridinecarboxylic controversy (Barkworth 1992, Kellogg use in this study. Chromosome numbers of acid} were applied 2 weeks prior to trans- 1994). For this paper, the genomic classi- these accessions were determined by the planting and in May of 1995 and 1996 at fication, which groups species according USDA-ARS Forage and Range Labora- rates of 2 kg ha-1 and 0.03 kg ha-1, respec- to genome content (Dewey 1984, tory at Logan, Ut. using conventional tively. The herbicide 2,4-D (2,4- Barkworth and Dewey 1985) will be used chromosome counts or at Lincoln, Neb. dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) was applied with the following exceptions. Under the where they were estimated by flow cytom- in July of 1994 and May of 1996 for current GRIN classification system, etry estimates of cellular DNA content broadleaf weed control. Nitrogen fertilizer Tzvelev’s (1984) treatment of the (Vogel et al. 1999). The genomic con- was not applied the establishment year. In -1 Triticeae that