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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Frederick, Maryland » Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #186109
Title: GENETIC VARIATION IN EURASIAN AND NORTH AMERICAN YELLOW STARTHISTLE (CENTAUREA SOLSTITIALIS L.) POPULATIONS

Author
item Anderson, Sharon
item Luster, Douglas - Doug

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/13/2006
Publication Date: 2/13/2006
Citation: Anderson, S.J., Luster, D.G. 2006. Genetic variation in eurasian and north american yellow starthistle (centaurea solstitialis l.) populations. Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Centaurea solstitialis is a widespread invasive plant species in the Western US, for which biocontrol development is ongoing. Understanding similarity of populations is important in predicting effectiveness of biological control agents for invasive organisms, such as noxious weeds. Microsatellite marker variation was used to understand the variation within and among Eurasian and North American yellow starthistle populations. Genetic similarity among populations observed using microsatellites was compared with similarities among populations for morphological characters, to determine the utility of morphology in field identification of Centaurea solstitialis populations. Microsatellite variation and morphology are two of the five markers being used to understand genetic relationships of Eurasian and Western North American yellow starthistle populations, ultimately providing geographic coordinates of existing North American populations most likely to support promising biocontrol agents.