Has selection for improved agronomic traits made reed canarygrass invasive?

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Ecology
• Plant Biology

Background:

• Plant breeding is crucial for developing bioenergy crops.
• Concerns exist that breeding for enhanced traits may inadvertently create invasive species.
• Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a case study for evaluating this risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if plant breeding has increased the invasiveness of reed canarygrass.
• To compare the vigor of cultivated, European wild, and North American invasive populations of reed canarygrass.
• To determine if breeding-induced vigor differs between upland and wetland environments.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated reed canarygrass cultivars, European wild populations, and North American invasive populations.
• Assessed plant vigor in both upland (agricultural) and wetland environments.
• Measured above- and below-ground biomass production as indicators of vigor.

Main Results:

• Reed canarygrass cultivars showed increased vigor in upland environments with added nitrogen.
• No significant differences in vigor or biomass production were observed between populations in wetland environments.
• Breeding gains in vigor were environment-specific and not maintained in wetlands.

Conclusions:

• Plant breeding has likely only marginally increased reed canarygrass vigor in specific upland environments.
• Breeding efforts are not the primary driver of wetland invasion by reed canarygrass.
• Guidelines are proposed to mitigate the risk of releasing invasive cultivars from breeding programs.