Description:
Little bluestem collections were made by USDA SCS personnel from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota in 1979. More than 7000 plants were evaluated in a spaced plant nursery from 1980-83. From this population a total of 340 plants of 68 accessions from western North and South Dakota were selected and placed in an isolation block as ND-4115, and later released as the pre-varietal release 'Badlands' Ecotype Little Bluestem. From ND-4115 a second cycle of recurrent selection was made. Heavier seed was selected from harvests of ND?4115 and planted in flats in the greenhouse. Selection of seedlings was based on vigor, size, and adventitious root development. Approximately 900 plants were established in a spaced plant nursery on the Bismarck PMC in 1989. This population was assigned the number 9076693. This nursery was divided into 36-plant plots in 1990 and evaluated for vigor, size and leafiness. Ten plants in each grid having the poorest performance were rogued out of the nursery in the fall of 1990. Plant selection continued in 1991 with approximately 700 plants remaining. After the 1992 growing season, the best 100 plants were flagged. Evaluation and selection continued in 1993 until plants began to approach the flowering stage. The unselected plants were then mowed to prevent flowering. The best 100 plants were allowed to flower and produce seed. A representative seed sample was harvested by hand stripping each of the selected plants and composited into one sample. A similar harvest of seed from 1994 was mixed with the 1993 harvest.