Another salt-tolerant plant that is important for coastal conservation in Louisiana is sea oats (Uniola paniculata L.). Sea oats are perennial grass plants that spread quickly to form dense stands of vegetation. These dense stands of vegetation trap blowing sand and build sand dunes. Sea oats are a cross-pollinated plant, which means they require pollen from a source other than themselves to produce seed. They are present in the United States as far north as North Carolina. They extend south along the Atlantic coast to Florida, wrap around the state and continue throughout the Gulf Coast to southern Texas. Although sea oats are present along much of the United States’ coasts, they are the predominant dune plant in the southeastern United States. At one time, sea oats were also the dominant dune grass in Louisiana, but for reasons that have not yet been identified, natural stands of sea oats no longer exist in Louisiana.
One released variety of sea oats, "Caminada," is adapted to Louisiana’s climate and as a result is used extensively in restoration projects throughout Louisiana. The widespread use of only one sea oat variety is very dangerous because if one plant is susceptible to a particular stress -- for example disease, insect or occasional environmental occurrences -- all plants will be susceptible to that same stress. If the stress is severe, all plants may die. Without plants to trap blowing sand, the beaches are vulnerable to erosion caused by normal wind and wave energy and especially during more severe events such as hurricanes and storm surges. One way to help ensure that at least some plants survive after they have been subjected to stress is to plant diverse populations of sea oats at each restoration site. The resistant plants will then be able to spread and re-populate areas where susceptible plants have died.
Sea Oats Breeding Methodology
The main objective of the sea oats breeding program is to develop superior, genetically diverse clonal and seed-based varieties of sea oats. In 2000, an extensive collection of sea oat seed from the entire growing area in the United States was made. Plants grown from the collected seed were established in field plots near Biloxi, Miss., and Holly Beach, La. Prior to Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, about 200 plants were selected based upon their rate of spread and relative health. Samples of these 200 plants were taken and established in a breeding nursery near Baton Rouge, La., to allow them to increase. In the fall of 2007, the vegetative material of the selected sea oats was split to provide material for replicated field tests along coastal Louisiana. Vegetative performance of each line will be compared to Caminada, the only released line of sea oats. Lines that meet or exceed the performance of Caminada will then be evaluated to determine how closely they are related to Caminada. Lines that are acceptable for vegetative performance and not closely related to Caminada will be released to the public.
The sea oat breeding nursery that was established near Baton Rouge, La., is also allowed to open pollinate and produce seed. Seed that is produced during the summer is harvested by plot. The identity of the seed is maintained, and seedlings are produced and evaluated for vegetative performance in field trials along Louisiana’s coast. Lines that are identified to meet or exceed the performance of Caminada and are not closely related will be released to the public and become available to restoration practitioners.
Coastal Plants Breeding Program
Smooth Cordgrass Breeding Program
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