Abstract
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.
Highlights
Settling of the semiarid and arid Great Plains and Intermountain regions of North America began and continued through the mid to late nineteenth century
This production agriculture resulted in rangeland disturbance yet continued until the Dust
Plant communities began to change with the loss of desirable plant material, increased soil erosion, and invasion by introduced annual weeds including Russian thistle (Salsola kali L.) and downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) [2]
Summary
Settling of the semiarid and arid Great Plains and Intermountain regions of North America began and continued through the mid to late nineteenth century. Settlers arrived based on the homestead acts in the US and Canada and began crop and domestic livestock production agriculture This production agriculture resulted in rangeland disturbance yet continued until the Dust. The primary criticism is that crested wheatgrass is not native to North America and that its seedings cause unwanted ecological site changes and result in monotypic stands that lack biodiversity. This criticism is unfair because the authors fail to acknowledge that the crested wheatgrass stands are frequently on sites that received heavy disturbance (i.e., grazing, fire, mechanical etc.) and soil damage from previous agricultural production [19]. It will focus on the history of cultivar development, breeding strategies, use of modern genetic tools, and future needs in this species
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