ARS | Publication request: Increasing Hybridity via Control of the Gametophytic Self-incompatiblity System in Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 16, 2008
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Citation: Knack, J.J., Krohn, A.L., Riday, H. Increasing Hybridity via Control of the Gametophytic Self-incompatiblity System in Red Clover (Trifolium pratense). Introductory Biology 151 and 152 Mentored Poster Session Spring 2008, May 6, 2008, Great Hall, Memorial Union, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Poster 222.

Technical Abstract: Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a valuable forage crop due to its high protein content and nitrogen-fixing capabilities. Capturing hybrid vigor in red clover could increase agronomic performance of cultivars. We hypothesize that manipulating the self-incompatibility system present in red clover will allow this. We believe we can increase pollination between two heterotic populations by restricting gametophytic self-incompatibility alleles within those populations. To test this concept we created backcross populations with restricted self-incompatibility allele sets. We cross-pollinated these back-cross populations with an unrelated population and measured how many progeny have both parents from the back-cross population (within) verses one parent from each population (hybrid). We determined the genotype of the parents and the progeny using PCR-based microsatellite analysis. Our hypothesis states that 75% of the seed-derived progeny from the back-cross population will hybridize with the unrelated population.