Genetic Relationships in Advanced Generation Hybrids Derived from Crosses between Texas (Poa arachnifera) and Kentucky (Poa pratensis) Bluegrass Using ISSR Markers

Jason Goldman

Southern Plains Range Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Woodward, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2013.412303                

Abstract

Fertile, advanced generation hybrids derived from crosses between Texas (Poa arachnifera Torr.) and Kentucky (Poa pratensis L.) bluegrass have been selected. The hybrids are currently being evaluated for low-input turf potential. Since they are derived from hand-harvested seed from first-generation hybrids located in field nurseries their exact genetic origin is unknown. This experiment was conducted to determine if there are still genetic relationships among the advanced generation hybrids and some of the Texas and Kentucky parents in their pedigrees. Four Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) primer combinations resolved on 6% nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels resulted in 179 polymorphic bands that were scored to create a genetic similarity matrix and dendrogram based on Jaccard’s coefficient. The clustering of the advanced generation hybrids was generally in agreement with what would be expected based on their pedigrees and indicated it was more likely to select a fertile hybrid from an advanced generation, rather than the F₁ generation.

Keywords

Poa arachnifera; Poa pratensis; Interspecific Hybrids; Inter Simple Sequence Repeat; Genetic Similarity

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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