Project Number: 5440-21000-021-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Nov 06, 2002
End Date: Nov 05, 2007

Objective:
1. Develop perennial cool- and warm-season perennial grasses and legumes and associated management practices for use in establishing or restoring grazed grasslands. 2. Develop perennial grasses, with emphasis on switchgrass, and associated management practices for use in biomass energy crop production systems. 3. Develop basic and applied information on the genetic and physiological mechanisms controlling grass herbage and biomass yield and quality that could be utilized to improve these traits via breeding and management research.

Approach:
Improved germplasm and cultivars of perennial warm- and cool-season grasses and legumes, both native and introduced, with improved herbage quality attributes for livestock production systems will be developed, evaluated, and released. Improved germplasm and cultivars of perennial warm- and cool-season grasses with improved biomass yields and improved feedstock quality for use in biomass energy production systems will be developed, evaluated and released. Both conventional and molecular breeding technologies will be used. Improved management practices for the rapid, low-cost conversion of degraded or marginal cropland, pastures, and rangeland to highly productive grasslands including perennial energy crops will be developed. Emphasis will be on seed quality and establishment. Improved management practices for production of perennial herbaceous biomass energy crops with emphasis on feedstock quality for economical conversion to liquid fuels will be developed. Management factors affecting feedstock quality will be determined and praactices to maintain or enhance feedstock quality will be developed.