Research advances in germplasm resources and applications of Echinochloa

Echinochloa is a herb with rapid fertility and wide adaptability, which is distributed worldwide. In the past, Echinochloa was studied as a malignant weed because of the damage caused to the growth of a variety of crops. In addition to being a weed plant, Echinochloa also has very high forage value. It is under development as a new high-quality forage for green livestock products because of its rich nutrition, soft grass quality, and good palatability. In this paper, the general situation and phylogenetic distribution of Echinochloa were summarized. The progress of research on its genetic diversity was discussed in terms of morphology, cytology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The economic value and excellent gene utilization of Echinochloa were described. We also comprehensively analyzed the problems and prospects of the study on germplasm resources of Echinochloa in China, concluding that research should focus on the collection, classification, genetic diversity, genomics, development, and utilization of Echinochloa.