DEVELOPMENT

Piper was developed in Wisconsin.

BREEDING HISTORY & DESCRIPTION

Piper is the result of a double-cross made in 1942. The original parents included selections from lines obtained from the Texas and Kansas Experiment Stations and Tift sudan, a variety developed cooperatively by the Division of Forage Crops and Diseases and the Georgia Experiment Station. Tift was obtained by intercrossing common sudangrass with Leoti sorghum.

Piper is characterized primarily be being more vigorous than commercial types, having a significantly lower level of hydrocyanic acid potential and by increased resistance to leaf blight and anthracnose. It is not homozygous, being somewhat variable in seed and foliage color. It can be identified by its bright green color and dark seed. The seed color is generally distinctive from that of other commercially grown sudangrass strains and varies from straw color through mahogany and sienna to reddish black depending upon maturity.

ADAPTATION

Piper is widely adapted to be grown in most states.

PEST & DISEASE RESISTANCE

Piper shows good resistance to leaf blight (Helminthosporium turcicum) and anthracnose (Colletotrichum graminicolm). In the southeastern states disease resistance has been insufficient to permit normal growth.

SEED CLASSES AND PRODUCTION

Breeder seed and Foundation seed are maintained by the UCD Foundation Seed Program.