Characterizing Phenotypic Diversity and G x E Interactions in Miscanthus.

            Dedicated perennial biomass feedstocks have shown promise as an important component in the development of renewable energy and the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere. Miscanthus is a genus of C₄ perennial grasses that is a prime candidate for large scale biomass production in the United States. However, Miscanthus is a relatively unimproved crop that has yet to be fully domesticated. Moreover, research and commercialization efforts on Miscanthus have focused on a single sterile triploid genotype of M.×giganteus; such a narrow genetic base would represent a great risk for establishing large production areas. Miscanthus as a genus contains a large amount of genetic diversity due to its extensive latitudinal native range throughout East Asia and the Pacific. In order to utilize this diversity for the domestication and improvement of Miscanthus, there is a need to characterize available germplasm for yield and adaptation traits to identify prospective parents that could be used in a bioenergy breeding program. In this study, 97 genotypes, representing much of the publically available Miscanthus germplasm in the United States, were evaluated in replicated field trials at two locations in Illinois, separated by nearly 3 degrees of latitude and a full hardiness zone. Data on yield and adaptation, including plant dry weight, plant height, basal circumference, culm diameter, lodging, number of mature culms, spring regrowth date, autumn dormancy date, flowering time, winter injury, drought tolerance, and frost tolerance were collected.  Large differences among genotypes and environments, as well as G x E interactions were observed. From these data, parental selections can be made with respect to traits of interest in order to efficiently breed Miscanthus for bioenergy.