Native Grass Breeding Program at Alberta Environmental Centre

A program to develop genotypes of native Alberta species for reclamation of disturbed lands was begun at the Alberta Environmental Centre in 1983. As a part of this larger program a native grass breeding project was initiated
for use in the alpine and subalpine regions of the province. The project objectives are:

• To develop genotypes of native species for reclamation, erosion control and wildlife range improvement in high-stress environments on the east slopes of the Alberta Rocky Mountains.
• To initiate and carryout all testing programs required to obtain licenses.
• To initiate licensing procedures for the lines under consideration and to obtain licenses for same.
• To produce breeder 1s seed of the licensed lines.

Of major importance in revegetating alpine disturbances has been the selection of adapted plant species. Historically, most revegetation research has been concentrated on identifying commercially available species adapted to high altitudes. The use of native species for revegetation has been limited by the commercial unavailability of good quality seeds with assured performance under stress conditions.