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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #173826
Title: BREEDING NON-FLOWERING ORCHARDGRASS

Author
item Casler, Michael
item Barker, Reed
item CHERNEY, J - CORNELL UNIV
item PAPADOPOLOUS, Y - AG & AGRIFOOD CANADA
item Johnson, Richard
item Jenderek, Maria

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2004
Publication Date: 10/31/2004
Citation: Casler, M.D., Barker, R.E., Cherney, J.H., Papadopolous, Y.A., Johnson, R.C., Jenderek, M.M. 2004. Breeding non-flowering orchardgrass [abstract]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. Paper No. 4380.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a valuable pasture species in much of temperate humid North America. However, profuse and early flowering in spring creates management problems for graziers and reduces intake of livestock in a management-intensive rotational grazing system. Two sparse-flowering populations WO-SF-B and WO-SF-C have been shown to produce fewer panicles per plant have higher frequencies of sparse-flowering and non-flowering plants than orchardgrass cultivars. Plants have varying levels of expression of the non-flowering trait, ranging from slightly sensitive (sparse-flowering in one year) to highly sensitive (stable non-flowering across years), with highly sensitive plants found only within populations WO-SF-B and WO-SF C. The non-flowering trait of orchardgrass appears to be controlled by floral-regulation genes that are turned off by short-day temperatures below a critical threshold. Such a threshold appears to exist for all orchardgrass plants, but is increased in those plants expressing the non-flowering trait. Plants have been selected for further research to define the appropriate contrasting environments for optimal seed and forage production.