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a USDA-ARS and North Carolina ARS, 1119 Williams Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620
b BASF Plant Science, 26 Davis Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
c 13 Furches St., Raleigh, NC 27695
* Corresponding author (joe_burns{at}ncsu.edu).
‘BoMaster’ switchgrass [Panicum virgatum L.] (Reg. No. CV-248, PI 645256) was cooperatively developed as a cultivar by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC and released on 1 November, 2006. BoMaster is adapted to the Southeastern U.S. and has potential as a forage or biomass crop. The process of developing this new cultivar should improve adaptability over existing cultivars to the many environments of the region.
BoMaster resulted from three cycles of selection occurring under natural environmental conditions. The original source population (Cycle 0) consisted of a selected group of 161 lowland form switchgrass plants, representing 11 different germplasm sources. The 11 germplasm sources, with cultivar or location of origin in parentheses, were accessions 63–85 (Pangburn), 63–90 (Kanlow), 63–78 (SC 56–23), 63–69 (Pinehurst, NC), 63–79 (Wilmington, NC), 63–75 (Bn-11361), 63–73 (F-687, Am-181, Stuart), 63–76 (Bn-11362), 63–72 (F-286, Am-180, Wahass, O.), 63–70 (Pinehurst, NC), and 63–71 (Am-175, Jasper County, SC). The 161 plants were evaluated for dry matter yield and in vitro dry matter digestion (IVDMD). A total of 31 plants were selected from this group on the basis of the arithmetic product of dry matter yield and IVDMD. These plants, in addition to two other plants that were selected to maintain their germplasm [accession 63–87 (Pangburn)], were allowed to cross-pollinate at random, with the resulting progeny bulked in equal amounts across clones to represent Cycle 1.
Cycle 1 was represented by 660 half-sib progeny derived from the 33 selected Cycle 0 plants. The progeny were evaluated for dry matter yield, IVDMD and N concentration (Talbert et al., 1983; Godshalk et al., 1986). A total of 33 plants were selected for various combinations of these traits. Six synthetic populations were formed using three different indices. Index I had weights of one for initial growth yield, zero for IVDMD and zero for N concentration. A value of zero was assigned to N concentration to establish it as a covariate, thus preventing declines in N concentration as a result of selection. One 16-clone synthetic was produced. A second index (Index II), with weights of one on initial growth yield, 62 on IVDMD, and zero for N concentration, produced 16-, 8-, and 4-clone synthetics. The third index (Index III) consisted of weights of zero on initial growth yield, one for IVDMD, and zero for N concentration. One 16-clone synthetic and a 4-clone synthetic were produced from Index III. A given plant (among the 33 plants selected) was frequently present in more than one synthetic. All six synthetics were planted in crossing blocks and allowed to open pollinate in isolation from one another. The progeny were subsequently harvested and bulked in equal amounts across clones to constitute Cycle 2.
Cycle 2 consisted of open-pollinated progeny from the six synthetics described above. As a result of varied representation in the six synthetics, of the 33 plants selected from Cycle 1, family size of the progeny ranged from 20 to 100 members per half-sib family. The 33 Cycle 2 families (progeny) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replicates at the Central Crops Research Station at Clayton, NC during 1985 and 1986 (Godshalk et al., 1988a, 1988b). Each progeny row contained seven plants and data were collected on the middle five plants of a given row. Dry matter yield and IVDMD data were recorded for initial growth and regrowth, on a per plant basis, for each of the progeny rows. The plants were ranked for dry matter yield over initial growth (June) and regrowth (late July to early August), and the top eight plants were selected to constitute Cycle 3. The eight selected plants were transplanted into an isolated crossing block, with 16 replicates per plant. They were allowed to open-pollinate and the seed was harvested and bulked evenly by weight to constitute breeder seed of the cultivar ‘BoMaster’. Seed was harvested from this polycross nursery over two years.
BoMaster switchgrass was evaluated for high biomass production in replicated experiments, which included Alamo and Cave-in-Rock cultivars. These cultivars represented a widely used lowland type and an upland type, respectively. Plantings were made in two different climatic and geological regions. Trials were located at the Tide Water Coastal Plain and conducted at the Tidewater Research Station, Plymouth, NC, and in the Central Coastal Plain and conducted at the Central Crops Research Station, Clayton, NC. Dry matter yield experiments were conducted for four years following the year of establishment. Samples obtained at time of harvest were oven-dried to a constant weight, ground, and used for subsequent laboratory analysis to estimate cell wall and constituent cellulose, lignin, and crude protein concentrations. Three harvest dates at both locations were during the end of May, end of July, and early October, from late vegetative to early heading growth stages.
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BoMaster switchgrass was named after the late Mr. Lilbron (Bo) G. Woodall, field technician for the grass breeding program, North Carolina State University, and a true master of field research. BoMaster is an eight-clone synthetic that provides significantly increased biomass production over Cave-in-Rock and Alamo. The area of adaptation is primarily the Southeastern U.S. Seed of BoMaster has been deposited in the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP, USDA-ARS). Breeder seed of BoMaster is being maintained by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Box 7620, N.C. State University, Raleigh, NC 27695. U.S. Plant Variety Protection will not be sought for BoMaster switchgrass. At time of submission, Ernst Conservation Seeds, Meadville, PA/Garrett Seed Farm, Smithfield, NC has been granted exclusive rights to produce and market BoMaster through contractual agreements with the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. Seed requests for other research purposes (variety testing, etc.) should be directed to the corresponding author, and such seed will only be distributed under a Material Transfer Agreement. Seed of this release is deposited in the National Plant Germplasm System where it will be available after 20 years for research purposes, including development and commercialization of new cultivars.
Footnotes
All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.
Received for publication February 20, 2007.
References
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