Evaluation of Bromegrass Introductions for Forage Yield and Quality

Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) is one of the most important cool-season forage grasses in the United States and Canada. Further improvement in this grass by breeding depends on identifying sources of genetic variability for forage yield and quality. Since smooth bromegrass is an introduced species, foreign introductions are an obvious source of genetic variability. This study evaluated 49 smooth bromegrass introductions for forage yield and quality as measured by in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and protein content and compared them with the cultivar \u27Lincoln\u27. Evaluated in a separate study and reported here were eight meadow bromegrass (Bromus biebersteinii Roem. and Schult.) introductions. Several of the smooth bromegrass introductions, including PI 315374, 315378, 315398, and 325237, should be useful germplasm in breeding for both high yield and high IVDMD. Forage yields of the meadow bromegrass introductions were only about 50% of those of Lincoln and in general were not as promising for use in a breeding program as the smooth bromegrass introductions