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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #155505
Title: INITIAL GENOTYPING OF BERMUDAGRASS PLANT ACCESSIONS USING GENETIC AND CHEMICAL APPROACHES

Author
item Anderson, William - Bill
item SNOOK, M - UNIV OF GEORGIA
item OZIAS-AKINS, P - UNIV OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Keystone Symposia
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/6/2004
Publication Date: 4/9/2004
Citation: Anderson, W.F., Snook, M., Ozias-Akins, P. 2004. Preliminary genotyping of bermudagrass plant accessions using genetic and chemical approaches (Abstract). Keystone Symposia: Comparative Genomics of Plants. Abst #132.

Interpretive Summary: not required.

Technical Abstract: Bermudagrass is a widely used grass for forage and turf on between 10 and 15 million acres throughout the South. A great deal of genetic variability from accessions collected around the world has been used to develop superior 'dwarf lines' for golf and domestic home landscaping, forages with higher yield and greater digestibility for livestock and a base for improved soil conservation. Currently, bermudagrass is being assessed for use as a feedstock for biofuel production. Over 500 accessions from the Cynodon genus have been curated in Tifton, GA. Phenotypic characterization has been conducted previously, and desirable phenotypes have been used in the genetic improvement program, however, to this point no systematic procedure has been performed to access the genetic and chemical diversity of these lines. Combined, these techniques could reveal: genes useful for improved resistance or tolerance to biotic or abiotic stress; specific chemical co-products to complement processing to biofuels; or reducing cell wall recalcitrance from specific chemical binding patterns. This study documents a preliminary screen of a subset of the bermudagrass accessions using HPLC and GC analyses for flavonoids and sugars, and AFLP analysis for genetic diversity. These techniques will be compared for correlation with known digestibilities, disease and insect resistance, and useful phenotypic traits.