ARS | Publication request: Registration of ‘BoMaster’ switchgrass

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 18, 2007
Publication Date: January 20, 2008
Citation: Burns, J.C., Godshalk, E.B., Timothy, D.H. 2008. Registration of ‘BoMaster’ switchgrass. Crop Science. 2:31-32.

Interpretive Summary: The switchgrass cultivar, 'BoMaster', is a new release that has been selected for improved dry matter yield. Field trials have shown BoMaster to be greater yielding than either Alamo of Cave-in-Rock. Further, BoMaster has greater cell wall yield than Cave-in-Rock adn approaches significantly highger cell wall yield than Alamo. This cultivar brings together the genetic diversity from the Southeastern U.S. and will provide a better adapted plant compared with other cultivars introduced from the Midwest. BoMaster is a lowland ecotype and well adapted to the Mid-Atlantic Region. This cultivar is an excellent candidate as a biomass crop but can be managed as pasture or harvested and stored as hay or silage.

Technical Abstract: 'BoMaster' switchgrass [Panicum virgatum L.] (Reg. no. CV-_____, PI 645256) was cooperatively developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University and released in 2006. The incorporation and preservation of the unique switchgrass germplasm indigenous to the Southeastern US is paramount in its future use as a dedicated crop for large-scale biomass production. The process of developing this new cultivar should improve adaptability over existing cultivars to the many environments of the region. Further, it is desirable that a new cultivar maintains, and potentially increases, its dry matter yield and other traits desireable in a biomass crop over existing cultivars.