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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #182005
Title: REGISTRATION OF 'BOZOISKY-II' RUSSIAN WILDRYE

Author
item Jensen, Kevin
item ASAY, KAY - ARS - RETIRED
item Johnson, Douglas
item Larson, Steven
item Waldron, Blair
item PALAZZO, TONY - US ARMY CORPS OF ENGR

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2005
Publication Date: 3/1/2006
Citation: Jensen, K.B., Asay, K.H., Johnson, D.A., Larson, S.R., Waldron, B.L., Palazzo, T.J. 2006. Registration of 'Bozoisky-ii' Russian wildrye. Crop Science 46:986-987.

Interpretive Summary: Within the Great Basin and Northern Great Plains, Bozoisky-II is adapted to sage-brush, mountain-brush, and pinyon-juniper on arid to semiarid rangelands. It is best adapted to loam and clay soils; however, acceptable stands can be obtained on a wide range of soil types. Russian wildrye's resistance to drought exceeds that of crested wheatgrass. The objective was to increase seedling vigor in this cultivar. Bozoisky-II was selected for seedling vigor (emergence from a deep planting depth), seed mass, seed yield, vegetative vigor, total dry matter production, and response to drought. Bozoisky-II has a much broader genetic base than other Russian wildrye cultivars and has been evaluated extensively on rangeland sites in western United States. Seedling establishment of Bozoisky-II has been equal to or greater than commercially available cultivars.

Technical Abstract: 'Bozoisky-II' Russian wildrye [Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski], was selected for seedling vigor (emergence from a deep planting depth), seed mass, seed yield, vegetative vigor, total dry matter production, and response to drought. Bozoisky-II has a much broader genetic base than other Russian wildrye cultivars and has been evaluated extensively on rangeland sites in western United States. Seedling establishment of Bozoisky-II has been equal to or greater than commercially available cultivars. Bozoisky-II was derived the following collections and or cultivars 'Vinall', P210, PI 272136, PI 314675, PI 369234, PI 406468, PI 406469, PI 406471, PI 314082, and Jones & Keller #447. This cultivar is the result of three cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection for plant vigor, increased seed weight and the ability of seedlings to emerge from a deep planting depth (7.6 cm) (Maguire, 1962). Morphologically, Bozoisky-II is significantly taller (92.9 cm) than 'Mankota'(84.3 cm) and 'Tetracan' (85.2 cm). Bozoisky-II (10.8 cm) has a significantly longer inflorescence than 'Bozoisky-Select' (9.0 cm) and Mankota. Bozoisky-II Russian wildrye is a diploid (2n=2x=14) and has the same ploidy level as the commercially available cultivars Bozoisky-Select, Mankota, Swift and Vinall. Based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms Bozoisky-II contains substantially more genetic diversity than current diploid and tetraploid cultivars. In seeded trials at Guernsey, WY (established 2004); King Hill, ID (established 2003); and Soda Lake, WY (established 1991), when planted on a pure live seed basis (PLS), Bozoisky-II had significantly more seedlings per unit area (m2) than did Bozoisky-Select and Tetracan.