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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #246454

Title: Registration of ‘Warrior’, ‘Scout’, and ‘Chief’ Indiangrass

Author
item Vogel, Kenneth
item Mitchell, Robert - Rob
item GORZ, H - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item HASKINS, F - University Of Nebraska
item NEWELL, L - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item KLOPFENSTEIN, T - University Of Nebraska
item ERICKSON, G - University Of Nebraska
item ANDERSON, B - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/8/2009
Publication Date: 4/19/2010
Citation: Vogel, K.P., Mitchell, R.B., Gorz, H.J., Haskins, F.A., Newell, L.C., Klopfenstein, T.J., Erickson, G., Anderson, B.E. 2010. Registration of ‘Warrior’, ‘Scout’, and ‘Chief’ Indiangrass. Journal of Crop Registrations. 4:115-122.

Interpretive Summary: The indiangrass cultivars Warrior. Scout, and Chief were developed cooperatively by USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska and were released in 2008 for use in the Great Plains and the Midwest USA in forage-livestock production systems. Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans, is a tall prairie grass native to the USA. Warrior is adapted to USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (HZ) 5 and the upper part of HZ 6 in the Great Plains and Midwest. It produces forage with high in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) that results in improved animal gains when utilized by beef cattle in well managed grazing systems in regions where it is adapted. Scout is adapted to HZ 5 in the Great Plains and Midwest, USA and potentially other regions where it has not been tested to date. It produces significantly greater forage yields than other adapted indiangrass cultivars when grown for hay in the western part of its adaptation region. Chief is adapted to HZ 4 and the upper half of HZ 5. It produces significantly greater forage yields than the other available HZ 4 cultivars. In the regions where they are adapted, these cultivars also could be used with other grasses in multi-species mixtures to produce biomass for bioenergy.

Technical Abstract: ‘Warrior’ ( PI 655523), ‘Scout’ (PI 655524), and ‘Chief’ ( PI 6555253) indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.)] Nash were developed cooperatively by USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska and were released in 2008 for use in the Great Plains and the Midwest USA in forage-livestock production systems. Warrior is adapted to USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (HZ) 5 and the upper part of HZ 6 in the Great Plains and Midwest. It produces forage with high in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) that results in improved animal gains when utilized by beef cattle in well managed grazing systems in regions where it is adapted. Scout is adapted to HZ 5 in the Great Plains and Midwest, USA and potentially other regions where it has not been tested to date. It produces significantly greater forage yields than other adapted indiangrass cultivars when grown for hay in the western part of its adaptation region. Chief is adapted to HZ 4 and the upper half of HZ 5. It produces significantly greater forage yields than the other available HZ 4 cultivars. In the regions where they are adapted, these cultivars also could be used with other grasses in multi-species mixtures to produce biomass for bioenergy.