Breeding and Genetics of Forages for Semi-Arid and Arid Rangelands

Dear Colleagues,

Rangelands are the world’s most extensive land cover type. These lands are dominated by grasses, forbs, and shrubs, which are important feed sources for grazing or browsing animals. Rangeland disturbances, including overgrazing and wildfire, result in the loss of perennial plant materials and soil destabilization. To address the effects of these disturbances, land managers seed rangelands to revegetate rangeland sites and improve the forage base for domestic livestock and wildlife. In response to revegetation projects, breeding and genetic programs began with the objective to develop plant materials specifically for the establishment, production, and persistence on these rangeland sites. We invite rangeland breeding and genetic researchers to submit articles for consideration in this Special Issue. Specifically, we seek articles describing (1) germplasm evaluation and enhancement of rangeland species using phenotypic and sequencing approaches; (2) quantitative genetic evaluations of rangeland plant breeding populations, including heritability and genetic by environment interaction studies; and (3) mapping and functional genomic studies to identify genomic regions underlying key traits for rangeland applications.

Dr. Joseph Robins
Guest Editor

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