Wednesday, November 15, 2006
266-24
Microsatellite variation in tall fescue populations.
Malay Saha1, Jennifer Black1, Andrew Hopkins1, and Joe Bouton2. (1) The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, PO Box 2180, Ardmore, OK 73402-2180, United States of America, (2) Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, 2510 Sam Noble Pkwy, 2510 Sam Noble Pkwy, Ardmore, OK 73401, United States of America
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a major forage and turf grass species in the temperate regions of the world with a genome constitution of PPG1G1G2G2. Information on genetic variation greatly facilitates parental selection, germplasm classification, and monitoring genetic shifts in populations. Microsatellite markers have been widely used for evaluation of genetic diversity in crop species. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic variability among 21 tall fescue accessions, breeding populations, and cultivars. Selected tall fescue genomic- and EST-SSR markers were used to identify variation among the tall fescue populations. DNA from 15 genotypes of each population were collected and bulked together for microsatellite fingerprinting. Preliminary results suggested a high degree of genetic diversity among the populations under study. Cluster analysis on the basis of UPGMA primarily separated the populations according to their breeding history, geographic origin, and type of population. HD28-56, a parent of a tall fescue mapping population and ‘Rebel’, a turf cultivar, formed two distinct clusters which were exclusively different from others. All other populations and accessions were divided into two sub-groups. GA-5 and the populations derived from it formed a distinct node within a sub-group with noticeable variations among them. The parents of our tall fescue mapping population were in discrete clusters and thus justified the extensive segregation of traits in the mapping population. Detailed microsatellite variations in tall fescue populations and accessions will be presented.