Registration of ‘Ahring’ little bluestem

Abstract

Abstract‘Ahring’ (Reg. no. CV‐16, PI 699123) little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash] was selected for greater 7‐d seed germination at low water potential and superior field emergence. Two cycles of recurrent selection were used to develop Ahring from germplasm UO‐2. Cycle 1 consisted of germinating 3,500 open‐pollinated pure seed of germplasm UO‐2 (designated UO‐2 C0) in water of −0.8 MPa potential for 7 d. All spikelets that germinated in 7 d (∼250) were selected to create population UO‐2 C1. Cycle 2 selection was identical to Cycle 1 selection except that population UO‐2 C1 was used to create population UO‐2 C2. The 7‐d laboratory seed germination of Ahring was 17% higher than UO‐2 C0 in deionized water. Sixty days after planting, field emergence of Ahring (35%) was greater than either population UO‐2 C1 (32%) or UO‐2 C0 (22.0%) or the cultivars ‘Cimarron’ (32%) or ‘Aldous’ (27%). Thus, recurrent selection for increased seed germination in a negative water potential resulted in a little bluestem population capable of greater field emergence. Ahring little bluestem is useful for wildlife habitat, grazing, soil stabilization, water conservation, renewable energy, and horticultural landscapes in the south‐central and southern Great Plains of the United States. Ahring was cooperatively released by the USDA‐ARS and the USDA‐NRCS.