Registration of ‘Centennial’ Sand Bluestem

Abstract

‘Centennial’ (Reg. No. CV-15, PI 670042) sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack.) is a synthetic cultivar selected for greater seed germination at a low water potential and seedling establishment under field conditions. Two cycles of recurrent selection were used to develop Centennial (ABmedium Syn-2) from ‘Chet’ sand bluestem (AB-medium Syn-0). Cycle 1 consisted of germinating 3500 open-pollinated seeds of population AB-medium Syn-0 in a −0.8 MPa D-mannitol solution for 7 d. All germinated seeds (~250) were selected to create population ‘AB-medium Syn-1’. Cycle 2 selection was similar to Cycle 1 except that population AB-medium Syn-1 was used to create population AB-medium Syn-2. Germination of seeds of Centennial was 16.3% higher than for those of Chet in a water potential of −0.8 MPa and 12.8% higher than Chet in deionized water. Seeds from Centennial had significantly greater field emergence (62.7%) than either the ABmedium Syn-1 (59.6%) or Chet sand bluestem (54.6%). Thus, percentage field emergence of sand bluestem was increased by recurrent selection for increased seed germination at a low water potential. Centennial sand bluestem was cooperatively released by the USDA–ARS and USDA–NRCS to provide forage for pasture, hay, or complementary rangeland–forage production systems and to stabilize soils by reclaiming marginal croplands in the central and southern Great Plains of the United States.