Researcher Russ Jessup has been working on the development of a dual-purpose, high-yielding grass that can be used for both forage and bioenergy. Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research grass breeder, crossed pearl millet (a grain crop) and Napier grass (a tropical forage species) to produce a perennial grass hybrid that is sterile in the field, though the parents produce seed. The new grass is extremely drought tolerant and uses water efficiently. Jessup plans to release the hybrid and its parents sometime next year. To see and learn more about this new hybrid grass, view the following Texas A&M AgriLife Today video.
