GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF PERENNIAL WARM-SEASON GRASSES AS FORAGE, BIOENERGY, TURF, AND VALUE-ADDED BIOPRODUCTS WITHIN SUSTAINABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS

Objective 1: Develop and evaluate improved germplasm of perennial forage sorghum genotypes, napiergrass, pearl millet x napiergrass hybrids, and kleingrass that are more productive, biologically diverse, tolerant of biotic and abiotic stresses, improved in quality, and easier to establish and maintain in sustainable agroecosystems. Subobjective 1A: Produce intra- and interspecific and intergeneric perennial forage Sorghum hybrids and evaluate them for winter-hardiness, perenniality, biomass production, forage quality, disease/insect resistance, seed fertility, and weediness mitigation. Subobjective 1B: Develop improved napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum) genotypes and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) x napiergrass hybrids and evaluate them for improved winter-hardiness, higher forage yield and quality, drought tolerance, seed fertility, and weediness mitigation. Subobjective 1C: Develop and evaluate kleingrass (Panicum coloratum) synthetic varieties with improved forage yield and quality, seed weight, seedling vigor, and persistence. Objective 2: Determine the reproductive biology, cytology, crossability, and genetic diversity of all new germplasm of different Sorghum species, napiergrass and other Pennisetum species, and their interspecific hybrids to support development of more efficient forage and bioenergy grass breeding strategies. Subobjective 2A: Determine the method of pollination, chromosome number, ploidy level, and reproductive behavior of species of Sorghum, Pennisetum, and other genera used in the wide hybridization program to facilitate hybridization and the genetic improvement of recovered wide hybrids. Subobjective 2B: Utilize molecular markers to identify and assess parental contribution of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids via species-specific markers and characterize the genetic diversity within targeted germplasm.