Description:
Developed from the mating of the germplasm MU-81 with five wild germplasm accessions from Morocco (G31272, G31273, G31276, G31298, and G31317). Progeny were evaluated for rhizome production, vigor, dry matter production, forage quality, incidence of disease, seed production, and winterhardiness. Selected progency were vegetatively-propagated to produce ramets. Result of two cycles of open-pollinated recombination in the field using honey bees (Apis mellifera) as pollinators. Equal numbers of seed collected from each plant were mixed to produce Cycle 1 then planted in Corvallis, Oregon in April 2000, from which Cycles 2 seed was bulk harvested in August 2001. The bulk seed constitutes the mid-60% maturity of the flowering cycle. Cycle 2 seeds were designated as ARS-2622.