Perennial Grains and Oilseeds: Current Status and Future Prospects

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 6104

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Interests: perennial crop breeding; phenology; perennial grains; developmental morphology; forages; seed production; plant ecology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Perennial grains and oilseeds have become an active area of research world-wide. The release of cultivars in two species (perennial rice and intermediate wheatgrass) is the beginning of the realization of the potential of this broad research area. This has also led to agronomic research, food quality/food science, ecosystem services, and cropping system research into these potential crops alongside the continued breeding of the released crops and/or domestication of new crops.

This Special Issue intends to highlight the scope, progress, and promise of current research into this expanding area of agricultural research. All types of original papers, such as original research articles and reviews, are welcome.

Dr. Douglas J. Cattani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • breeding
  • genetics/genomics
  • cropping systems
  • ecological goods and services
  • agronomy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1995 KiB  
Article
Grain Yield Potential of Intermediate Wheatgrass in Western Canada
by Patrick M. LeHeiget, Emma J. McGeough, Bill Biligetu and Douglas J. Cattani
Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101924 - 30 Sep 2023
Viewed by 890
Abstract
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) is a temperate perennial grass capable of performing in dual-purpose perennial grain cropping systems. It is valued for its ecosystem services and forage yield and quality that can be utilized in many livestock systems. Development for [...] Read more.
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) is a temperate perennial grass capable of performing in dual-purpose perennial grain cropping systems. It is valued for its ecosystem services and forage yield and quality that can be utilized in many livestock systems. Development for potential perennial grain yield has been the focus of breeding programs for more than two decades, and agronomic management is becoming important, as commercialization of the crop has occurred. This research focused on nitrogen management and intercropping on grain yield and yield components in western Canada. Treatments consisting of a non-fertilized control, an interseeded crop with IWG/Trifolium hybridum, and a fertilized treatment (50 kg N ha−1) were investigated at four locations. Drought conditions were experienced in some years, resulting in the loss of the interseeded crop at three locations. Fertilization with nitrogen increased grain yield in harvest years two and three and influenced yield components in at least one instance across locations. Third-year grain harvests were higher or equal to year one yield at the two locations harvested, with applied N increasing yield on average by 200 kg ha−1 in year three. Inflorescence density is an important yield component after the first production year. The potential for consistent grain yields across three reproductive years was demonstrated, enhancing the potential for sustained productivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perennial Grains and Oilseeds: Current Status and Future Prospects)
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18 pages, 2923 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Plant Nitrogen Use and Soil N pools in Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium)
by Michelle Dobbratz, Jacob M. Jungers and Jessica L. M. Gutknecht
Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020468 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1540
Abstract
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) is a perennial grass under development as a grain and forage crop. Although IWG is known for its ability to take up nitrate and improve water quality, seasonal nitrogen (N) demand and uptake by IWG is [...] Read more.
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) is a perennial grass under development as a grain and forage crop. Although IWG is known for its ability to take up nitrate and improve water quality, seasonal nitrogen (N) demand and uptake by IWG is not well known. We measured IWG shoot, root, and grain production, tissue N concentration, and soil mineral N at multiple plant growth stages in 1- and 2-year-old IWG stands fertilized with various rates of N: (1) 80 kg N ha−1 applied at spring regrowth (spring), (2) 40–40 kg N ha−1 applied at spring regrowth and anthesis (split), and (3) an unfertilized control. We also calculated nitrogen use efficiency and biomass N yield. Soil mineral N, N-mineralization rates, and plant N concentration increased with fertilization, and lodging increased with spring fertilization, while root physiological N use efficiency (PNUE) declined with fertilization. Seasonally, shoot and root N concentration declined at physiological maturity, while shoot PNUE was highest at maturity, suggesting either that surplus N was allocated to grain or that more biomass was being produced per unit N taken up. In the 1-year-old stand, during fall regrowth, soil mineral N levels were among the lowest; however, the total soil N was highest compared with other sampling times, suggesting a large influx of organic N between physiological maturity and fall regrowth. Based on our results, IWG is well suited to use nitrogen inputs and avoid excess N leaching into groundwater, but it is also clear that IWG has strong seasonal N allocation patterns that should be taken into consideration with N recommendations and best practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perennial Grains and Oilseeds: Current Status and Future Prospects)
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11 pages, 551 KiB  
Article
Plant Suppression and Termination Methods to Maintain Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) Grain Yield
by Galen Bergquist, Jessica Gutknecht, Craig Sheaffer and Jacob M. Jungers
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1638; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101638 - 08 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1259
Abstract
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey; IWG) is a perennial sod-forming grass undergoing domesticated for use as a dual-use grain and forage crop with potential environmental benefits. IWG plant populations increase with stand age, which has been associated with [...] Read more.
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey; IWG) is a perennial sod-forming grass undergoing domesticated for use as a dual-use grain and forage crop with potential environmental benefits. IWG plant populations increase with stand age, which has been associated with reductions in grain yields after the second production year, thus management techniques are needed to maintain grain yields over time. We measured the effects of two between-row plant termination methods (cultivation and herbicide application) and two within-row suppression methods (burning and mowing), applied at different IWG physiological stages during the growing season. We measured IWG grain and straw yield, root biomass, and weed biomass. Treatments were initiated after the second year of grain harvest and applied for two consecutive years in southeast Minnesota. Grain yields were highest in production year 2 preceding any treatment application and declined in years 3 and 4 by 82% and 57% compared to year 2, respectively, across all management treatments. Termination methods reduced between-row IWG biomass and grain by up to 82% and 91% compared to the control but had no effect on within-row or total grain yield. Fall burning suppression treatments mitigated the negative effects of some termination treatments on grain yield and increased total straw yield. Spring mowing suppression treatments reduced grain and straw yield by 42% and 34%, respectively, compared to the control. Controls had minimal weed biomass while the termination treatments increased weed biomass, especially termination treatments that included herbicide application. No treatments sustained grain yields, but positive effects of some treatments were observed on total biomass and weeds and could be considered by growers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perennial Grains and Oilseeds: Current Status and Future Prospects)
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14 pages, 864 KiB  
Article
Early Plant Development in Intermediate Wheatgrass
by Douglas John Cattani and Sean Robert Asselin
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070915 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1533
Abstract
Early seedling developmental morphology influences plant growth and development and ultimately crop biomass and grain yields. We used six half-sibling plants of intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) (Thinopyrum intermedium, (Host), Barkworth and Dewey) to develop an obligate outcrossing species, to develop six maternal [...] Read more.
Early seedling developmental morphology influences plant growth and development and ultimately crop biomass and grain yields. We used six half-sibling plants of intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) (Thinopyrum intermedium, (Host), Barkworth and Dewey) to develop an obligate outcrossing species, to develop six maternal lines. Thousand seed weights (TSW) were consistently different amongst plants, averaging from 6.28 to 9.62 g over the three harvest years. Seedlings from the largest seed of each line were studied for early plant development under controlled conditions (22 °C/18 °C, 16/8 h day/night) with destructive harvests at 21, 28, 35 and 42 days after imbibition (DAI) through six grow-outs. Haun stage, and tiller umber and origin, were noted daily, and dry weight plant−1 (DWP) measured at the dates noted above. Leaf-blade length and width were measured in four grow-outs and leaf area estimated. Seedling development data showed some differences between lines and was similar in all lines studied. Data was combined to garner an understanding of early IWG development. Tillering began as the third leaf completed emergence. Coleoptile tillers and rhizomes were infrequent. DWP was best estimated using the main stem leaf area. A large-, a medium- and a small-seeded line were statistically identical for many characteristics including DWP indicating that TSW did not influence seedling vigor. The main stem leaf area may be used non-destructively to improve plant populations for early DWP selection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perennial Grains and Oilseeds: Current Status and Future Prospects)
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