Switchgrass - Bioenergy Crop Plants - page 578

taBle 22.2
Improved switchgrass cultivars representing significant Breeding and selection activities

Principal traits selected
during cultivar development

adapted to usda
hardiness zones cultivar ecotype Ploidy year

Pathfinder Upland 8 x 1967 Biomass yield and vigor 4, 5

Shawnee Upland 8 x 1996 IVDMD, biomass yield 5, 6, 7

Sunburst Upland 8 x 1998 Heavy seeds 3, 4, 5

Trailblazer Upland 8 x 1984 IVDMD, biomass yield 4, 5

Summer Upland 4 x 1963 Earliness, rust resistance 4, 5

BoMaster Lowland 4 x 2006 IVDMD, biomass yield 6, 7, 8

Performer Lowland 4 x 2006 IVDMD, biomass yield 6, 7, 8

IVDMD, in vitro dry matter digestibility.

Prairie remnant populations Natural-track cultivars Improved cultivars

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0

-0.1

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4

-0.5
-0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1

Dimension 1

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

FIGure 22.3 (see color insert) Multidimensional scale plot of 818 switchgrass plants representing
collections made in remnant prairies, public cultivars derived as random seed increases from remnant prairies
(natural track), and cultivars improved by selection and breeding, based on random amplified polymorphic
DNA (RAPD) markers (From Casler, M.D. et al., Crop Sci , 47, 2261-2273, 2007b.)