Seed production characteristics of prairie junegrass germplasm accessions

Prairie junegrass [Koeleria macrantha (Ledeb.) Shult.] is a perennial, short-grass prairie species distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. This species is known to require fewer inputs than other cool-season turfgrasses and it demonstrates tolerance to many environmental stresses found in Minnesota. In June 2007, 48 K. macrantha accessions from the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) were grown and evaluated for seed production characteristics in 2 locations (St. Paul, MN, and Becker, MN). Signifi cant variation was found among accessions for several seed production traits including harvest date, plant height, seedhead number, and seed yield. A signifi cant correlation between seedhead number and seed yield was found, which can be utilized for indirect selection in the production nursery. Plant growth and seed yield were highest at the Becker location, demonstrating the species' preference for welldrained soils. Flowering times were signifi cantly different between the locations; however, there were no signifi cant differences in the duration from seedhead emergence to harvest between the locations. Multivariate analysis did not reveal clustering of accessions based on geographic origin, suggesting a diversity of material within collection regions.