Genetic Variation of Growth Traits and Seed Production in a Patagonian Native Pasture in Semiarid Rangelands Under Different Environmental Settings.

ABSTRACT: Rangelands play a crucial socioeconomic and environmental role worldwide. In South America, desertification and overgrazing has led to their deterioration and declining productivity. Breeding programs that use native forage species of economic and ecological importance, such as Festuca pallescens (St. Yves) Parodi, may provide locally adapted germplasm that enhances productivity without threatening local biodiversity. These programs may even promote the conservation of native species. To this end, we characterized the phenotypic variation of nondestructive variables (growth and reproductive traits) related to forage and seed production during spring and early summer (growth and reproductive periods). Plants from ten populations were grown under common garden conditions in two enviro

SUBMITTER: Lopez AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11901679 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature