Genecology for Indian Ricegrass, Sandberg
Bluegrass and Basin Wildrye
R.C. Johnson1, Mike Cashman1, Barbara Hellier1, Matt Horning2,
Erin Espeland3, Elizabeth Leger4, and Ken Vance-Borland5
1USDA ARS,
Plant Genetic Resources, Pullman, WA
2USFS, Bend, OR
3USDA, ARS, Northern Plains Agricultural Research, Sidney, MT
4University of Nevada, Reno, NV
5Conservation Planning Institute, Corvallis, OR
Agricultural
Research Service
The late afternoon talk reminds me of problems faced
by Howard and Tom
Outline
•Partnerships for native restoration (ARS, USFS,
BLM)
•Review of genecology
•Summary of completed projects (Tapertip onion, Indian
ricegrass)
•Status of newer projects (Sandberg bluegrass, Basin
wildrye, Thurbers’ needlegrass, Sulfur flowered
buckwheat)
•Application of seed zones
Pressures on the landscape reducing the genetic
diversity of native plants and the stability of
ecosystems
Seeds of Success
Seeds of Success (SOS) was
established in 2001 by the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) in
partnership with the Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew Millennium
Seed Bank (MSB)
It is now an ongoing
program with many partners that
collect, conserve, and develop
native plant materials for
restoration in the United States.
SOS and the NPGS are
partnering to collect and
conserve key native plant
materials. More than 4000 new
native accessions have been
acquired for the NPGS so far.
The U.S. National Plant Germplasm
System (NPGS)
Ex situ Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources
Research collections
Security back-up
•Evaluation data
•Seed zone development
NCGRP, Fort Collins
SOS
Collections
Pullman
Curators
Distribution
Distribution
GRIN
documentation
Cold storage (4 C) of native germplasm cooperative with the BLM,
Seeds of Success Program (SOS), and the National Plant
Germplasm System repository at Pullman WA. Security back-up
is provided as long term storage at -18°C the Fort Collins, CO.
SOS Germplasm Distribution
Seeds of success (SOS) native germplasm sample distributions from National
Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) repositories between 2005-2010*.
Year and
Repository*
Taxon
Accessions
2005
W6
1
1
2006
W6
21
23
Total Orders
1
3
2007 2008
W6
W6
135 315
161 438
54
129
2009
W6
321
448
2009
COR
12
14
2009
NC7
5
5
114
1
3
2010 2010
W6 NC7
339
20
530
28
95
Total†
736
1648
21
421
*NPGS repositories, W6 (Western Regional Station, Pullman, WA), COR (Clonal G
Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR), NC7 (North Central Regional Station, Ames, IA)
†In
2011 W6 (Pullman) has filled 126 seed orders and distributed
502 accessions the user community
BLM Native Plant Development Program
Restoration and the choice of germplasm
The “Crop” based approach: selections are made from plant
collections representing genetically diverse populations. Many
populations are discarded to focus on fewer elite populations.
•Traditional approach for most Western rangelands
•Can lead to broadly adapted types with improved agronomics
(establishment, seed production, less dormancy)
•May contribute to loss of genetic diversity, erosion and
swamping
An “Ecological" based approach: wild populations are collected
within a seed zone are planted back to the areas within the zones
where revegetation and restoration are needed.
•Long-standing Forest Service approach
•Promotes in situ conservation
•Requires seed zone development
•More diversity used; more scope for future natural selection
•New for BLM; implementation system lacking.
Does the selection fit?
Mountain brome from the Oregon Cascades (W), the Blue mountains (B), and the widely
used cultivar Bromar (Br) distinguished by plant traits
Bromar is a very atypical Mt. Brome
Genecology research is
ongoing for many key North
American species*:
-Mt. Brome (complete)
-Tapertip onion (complete)
-Indian ricegrass (complete)
-Bluebunch wheatgrass(nearly complete)
-Sandberg bluegrass (data analysis)
-Thurbers’ needlegrass (gardens planted)
-Basin wildrye (gardens planted)
-Prairie junegrass (nearly complete)
-Bottlebrush squirreltail (seeds collected)
-Sulfur-flowered buckwheat (started)
*Cooperative among BLM, Forest
Service, and ARS
Genecology for seed zones: genotype by climate
Germplasm
collection
Common garden
evaluations for
genetic traits
Regression modeling of
plant traits with source
location climate
Mt. Brome, NE Oregon
Multivariate
traits for data
reduction
Links plant
traits to source
location
climate
GIS mapping plant
of plant traits with
climate for seed
zones
Tapertip onion, Great Basin
Indian ricegrass, SW U.S.
Tapertip onion and Indian ricegrass
55 for Tapertip onion
106 for Indian ricegrass
P<0.01
P<0.01
P<0.01
P<0.01
Seed zones for Tapertip onion
The map is an overlay of production 1 and phenological 1 traits modeled with source
location climatic variables. White areas are outside the data range. The contour interval
is ± the 0.05 confidence interval for regression error.
Seed zones for Indian ricegrass
Overlay of the three regression models from canonical variates. White areas are
outside the data range. The contours were 2 times the 0.05 confidence interval.
Area represented by each seed zone for Indian ricegrass
collection locations across the Southwestern US and zones
corresponding to released germplasm.
Square
Mapped
Seed zone
kilometers
area %
Number1
H1H2H3
32 845.9
3.03
3
H1H2L3
24 808.1
2.29
1
H1L2H3
119 066.9
11.0
3
H1L2L3
154 40.8
1.42
1
M1H2H3
127 031.1
11.7
32
M1H2L3
68 811.0
6.35
11
M1L2H3
324 657.1
29.9
35
M1L2L3
101 311.2
9.34
8
L1H2H3
48 709.5
4.49
3
L1H2L3
15 630.5
1.44
1
L1L2H3
174 859.6
16.1
7
L1L2L3
31 304.6
2.89
1
Totals
1 084 476.2
100.0
106
1Number
of collections falling within a given seed zone.
Ongoing projects
Sandberg bluegrass
Basin wildrye
Thurbers’
needlegrass
Sulfur flowered
buckwheat
Sandberg bluegrass
•Common gardens with 130 locations
•Two families within locations
•RCB with 6 replications
•Three garden sites (Central Ferry,
WA; Powell Butte, OR, Sidney, MT)
•Maternal effects spin off study
Data collected 2009 and
2010; analysis underway
Sandberg bluegrass 2009 ANOVA summary for Central Ferry, WA (n=130)
Mean
F-value
P-value
Phenology
Heading, day of year
Anthesis, day of year
Maturity, day of year
Heading to anthesis, days
Anthesis to maturity, days
Heading to maturity, days
116.4
132.2
160.3
15.9
27.7
43.5
3.72
4.43
2.88
3.29
2.80
2.68
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
74.4
4.23
9.55
50.8
53.7
21.6
3.17
3.17
3.53
3.62
2.50
4.88
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
6.39
6.98
11.0
11.7
33.3
5.51
7.21
6.98
4.09
5.13
3.16
1.96
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
<0.0001
0.0002
Production
Survival, percent
Leaf abundance, 1 to 9 rating
Crown diameter, cm
Crown area, cm2
Inflorescence quantity
Dry weight, g per plant
Morphology
Leaf length, cm
Leaf width, cm
Plant height, cm
Inflorescence length, cm
Culm length, cm
Plant habit, 1 to 9
Basin Wildrye
Common gardens
•Gardens established in
2010 at Central Ferry
and Pullman, WA.
•114 collection
locations, two families
within location, six
replications.
•Includes tetraploid and
octaploid types: ploidy is
being determined
•Data collection started
in 2011.
Collection locations
Thurbers’ needlegrass
Collection locations
Common gardens
Planted at Central Ferry, WA, and
Reno NV Fall 2011
-66 collection locations
-Randomized complete blocks
-8 replications
Sulfur-flowered buck wheat
Collection started
2011 with 15
accessions (team
Berta Youtie), will
continue in 2012
Summary: Tapertip onion and Indian ricegrass
•Native species have naturally developed substantial genetic
diversity associated with variation in climate.
•For tapertip onion and Indian ricegrass, spring precipitation was
most strongly correlated with key plants traits across collection
locations; temperature correlations were prominent but less affected
by season.
•Regression models of key multivariate plant traits and collection
location climates have resulted in robust seed zone maps (based on
R2 typically > 0.50).
•Ecoregion boundaries were generally not a dependable surrogate
for seed zones
•For Indian ricegrass in the Southwest, most zones are not
represented in current germplasm releases (Whiteriver, Starlake,
and Paloma).
• The proposed seed zones provide basic outline but should be open
to review and modification, especially from land managers.
Using seed zones
•For key species, collect or assemble germplasm within each
seed zone.
•Contract with seed growers to propagate seed zone derived
plant materials.
•Document and release germplasm for use in designated
zones.
•Inventory and store seeds to supply plant materials for
restoration.
•Practice ongoing restoration in degraded areas before and
after fire or other disturbances.
•Research provisional seed zones, multiple species zones.