Nutritive value of Virginia wildrye, a cool-season grass native to the northeast USA

Interest in native plant species for conservation and production has increased because of new federal policies. We evaluated accessions of the native cool-season grass Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus L.) from the northeastern USA for nutritive value and its association with plant morphological traits. Thirteen accessions, one cultivar (Omaha), and one commercial ecotype of Elymus were transplanted into single-row field plots in late summer of 2000 at Beltsville, MD, Rock Springs, PA, and Big Flats, NY. Two orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) cultivars were included. Primary growth was harvested in April (Beltsville) or May (Rock Springs and Big Flats) of 2001 and 2002 and analyzed for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP), and digestible NDF (dNDF). Nutritive value measures were related to plant morphological attributes [leaf width, length, area, and leaf-to-stem mass ratio (LSR)]. Virginia wildrye accessions differed (P < 0.01) in nutritive value and often had lower NDF and higher CP and dNDF than the commercial ecotype, Omaha cultivar, and orchardgrass. The LSR accounted for most of the variation in nutritive value. Orchardgrass was more mature at harvest than Elymus entries and thus lower in nutritive value. Neutral detergent fiber was negatively correlated with LSR (r = -0.26 to -0.74, P < 0.05), whereas CP and dNDF were positively correlated (r = 0.36 to 0.80 for CP and 0.44 to 0.74 for dNDF, P < 0.05). Neutral detergent fiber was also positively correlated (r = 0.27 to 0.86, P < 0.05) with leaf length. Virginia wildrye is comparable to other cool-season grasses in nutritive value.