top of page

Development of colchicine-induced tetraploid St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) lines

Writer's picture: AuthorAuthor

Esdras M. CarbajalM. Carolina ZuletaLuellen SwayzerBrian M. SchwartzMaria Carolina ChavarroA. Carolina Ballen-TabordaSusana R. Milla-Lewis


Abstract


St. Augustinegrass is well suited for lawns and commercial landscapes. While many genotypes are cross-fertile, all cultivars are propagated vegetatively in sod production. To ensure varietal purity, development of sterile triploid hybrids by crossing tetraploid and diploid genotypes has been successfully used in other warm-season turfgrasses. Applying this model in St. Augustinegrass would be beneficial to sod producers and turf managers who require purity for certification and uniformity for performance, respectively. This study was conducted to develop colchicine-induced tetraploid lines of St. Augustinegrass. Seeds of cultivar ‘Raleigh’ were treated with four colchicine concentrations at four exposure times. A non-treated control was included among the treatments. Seedlings that germinated were screened for genome size changes using flow cytometry. Line DSA 13005 and two progeny lines derived through selfing, DSA 16001 and DSA 16016, were corroborated as tetraploids (2n = 4x = 36) through chromosome counts. These lines will be used in future breeding efforts to attempt development of sterile triploid cultivars of St. Augustinegrass.


0 views

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Bill Rose Foundation

Non-Profit

501(c)3

Stay Up to Date

Subscribe to our newsletter

Thanks for submitting!

Contact Us

For more information, reach out

Thanks for submitting!

© 2024 by Bill Rose Foundation.

bottom of page