Registration of 'HighWest' meadow bromegrass

Authors: Jensen, Kevin; WINTER, DAMON - L&h Seeds; Bushman, Shaun; Robbins, Matthew; Getz, Megan; Waldron, Blair

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2021
Publication Date: 4/6/2022
Citation: Jensen, K.B., Winter, D., Bushman, B.S., Robbins, M.D., Getz, M.M., Waldron, B.L. 2022. Registration of 'HighWest' meadow bromegrass. Journal of Plant Registrations. 16(2):212-219. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20203.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20203

Interpretive Summary: Many ranchers/farmers are using less productive marginal agricultural land, often associated with periods of reduced irrigation or increased drought, soil salinity, and low fertility, to provide their grazing forage as an alternate to public grazing and highly productive agricultural land. There continues to be a need to develop highly nutritious forage cultivars that are adapted to these marginal lands. One such species is meadow bromegrass. Scientists at the Forage and Range Research Unit release a new meadow brome cultivar ‘HighWest.’ Selection emphasis in HighWest meadow brome was on crude protein (CP), forage regrowth, quality, and seedling emergence from a deep planting depth under irrigation. HighWest had better seedlings establishment compared to Arsenal, Regar, Armada, and Admiral. HighWest forage regrowth (1,149 kg ha-1) was greater than Cache (674), Regar (660), and Armada (629). Total forage production in HighWest (5,573 kg ha-1) was greater than Cache (4,495) and Regar (4,525). Forage regrowth of HighWest had CP values 6% greater than Cache. Water-soluble carbohydrates were 22 and 7% greater in HighWest (87.0 g kg-1) than Cache and Regar, respectively. HighWest MB provides ranchers with additional plant materials that has excellent seedling establishment, DMY, and nutritional quality.

Technical Abstract: The United States Department of Agriculture (ARS) announces the release of the cultivar ‘HighWest’ meadow bromegrass [Bromus biebersteinii Roem. & Schult. (excluded)] (Reg. No. CV-__, PI______) for use on irrigated and semi-irrigated pastures as a rapidly establishing forage grass with excellent dry-matter yield (DMY) on sites receiving 450 mm of either annual precipitation or irrigation. Selection emphasis in HighWest meadow brome (MB) was on crude protein (CP), DMY regrowth, quality, and seedling emergence from a deep planting depth under irrigation. HighWest MB has been evaluated in UT comparing it to cultivars Cache, Arsenal, Regar, Admiral, and Armada. Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) demonstrated that HighWest is significantly different genetically from Cache (P < 0.043), Arsenal (0.003), Regar (0.040), Admiral (0.001), and Armada (0.028) and grouped closest to Cache and Arsenal, consistent with its breeding pedigree. HighWest had greater (P < 0.05) % seedling emergence frequency at Millville, UT compared to Arsenal, Regar, Armada, and Admiral. Based on a selection index that combined % seedling emergence frequency, DMY, and CP values, HighWest had a greater index value at 2.8, compared to Cache (1.7), Arsenal (-0.6), Regar (-3.2), Armada (-1.5), and Admiral (-1.0). HighWest forage regrowth (1,149 kg ha-1) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than Cache (674), Regar (660), and Armada (629). Total DMY in HighWest (5,573 kg ha-1) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than Cache (4,495) and Regar (4,525). Forage regrowth of HighWest had CP values 6% greater than Cache. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) were 22 and 7% greater in HighWest (87.0 g kg-1) than Cache and Regar, respectively. HighWest MB provides ranchers with additional plant materials that has excellent seedling establishment, DMY, and nutritional quality.