Native grass breeding: Priority needs and strategic approaches

Abstract

Native grasses possess extensive ecological adaptability, such as cold, drought, and salt tolerance, and tolerance to poor soil conditions. They play a crucial role in ensuring food security and ecological security. However, their development and utilization are still limited by lack of information on agronomic cultivation methods, low seed production, and difficulty in commercial production. This review summarizes the core requirements for native grass breeding and practical solutions. A “six-step” strategy for native grass breeding is proposed: (1) establish a basic agronomic cultivation system; (2) develop economically feasible seed production technologies to ensure farmers’ access to seeds; (3) systematically collect and evaluate germplasm resources in the target environment; (4) promote superior germplasm lines and achieve large-scale seed production; (5) initiate selection/breeding plans for key traits such as seed yield, seedling vitality, and multi-trait productivity; and (6) on this basis, strategically integrate advanced technologies such as genetic markers, gene editing, and omics analysis to accelerate the process of precision breeding. This progressive strategy emphasizes laying a solid foundation for breeding before applying newly emerging technologies to cultivate native grass varieties with commercial value.