ABSTRACT
Switgrass, a C4 perennial grass widely distributed in North America, has become one of the main bioenergy crops for production of cellulosic biofuels. Due to its relatively short history in research, the advance of molecular genetics and breeding of switchgrass is lagging behind that of the other major row crops (such as rice, wheat, and corn). However, with the increase of investment from public agencies and private organizations, many achievements have been attained, especially in recent years (Bouton 2007). This chapter will focus on switchgrass classical molecular genetics including development of molecular markers, construction of linkage groups, and application of molecular breeding. Transgenic researches are not presented here, but are addressed in a separate chapter of this book.
