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Genetic Variation And Trait Associations For Forage Yield And Quality Among F1 Half-Sib Families Of Switchgrass, Matthew Eric Bobbitt

Masters Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is widely accepted as a forage crop throughout the United States. It is known for its performance on field sites that may be marginal for row crop production and as a warm season grass to fill gaps for cool season forages. With the increase of fuel and fertilizer costs, forage producers need higher yields and better quality than ever before. The objectives of this research were to: (i) compare four F₁ [first generation] half-sib populations for their potential of producing superior lines for forage production, (ii) assess the genetic variances for yield, and (iii) …

Genetic Variability For Biomass Yield, Yield Components, And Ethanol Yield Among Half-Sibs Of Switchgrass, Eifion Wyn Hughes

Masters Theses

For bioenergy crops to be an economical alternative to fossil fuels, rapid biological and technological advancements will need to occur. Some advancements can be accomplished by producing new switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) varieties with higher biomass and ethanol yields. The objective of this research was to quantify biomass and ethanol yield potential of four F₁ [F1] half-sib populations for future variety development as a bioenergy crop.

The four parental lines were PI 421999 (AR), PI 607837 (TX), PI 421552 (Cimarron), and Exp. # NSL-2001-1 (OK). Seed for one hundred and forty F₁ [F1] half-sib progeny were produced …