Ploidy level determinations in buffalograss clones and populations

• Published in: Crop science Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 478 - 482
• Main Authors: Johnson, P.G, Riordan, T.P, Arumuganathan, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Crop Science Society of America 01.03.1998; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: ADN; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; AMELIORATION DES PLANTES; ANATOMIA DE LA PLANTA; ANATOMIE VEGETALE; ANEUPLOIDIA; ANEUPLOIDIE; ANEUPLOIDY; Biological and medical sciences; Bouteloua dactyloides; BUCHLOE DACTYLOIDES; CELL COUNTING; CHROMOSOME NUMBER; CLONE; CLONES; CONTEO DE CELULAS; Cytogenetics; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Drought; FITOMEJORAMIENTO; FLOW CYTOMETRY; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Genetics. Plant material; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Grasses; Heat; Heat tolerance; Measurement; NOMBRE CHROMOSOMIQUE; NUMERATION CELLULAIRE; NUMERO DE CROMOSOMAS; PLANT ANATOMY; PLANT BREEDING; Plant genetics; plant morphology; Ploidy; POLIPLOIDIA; POLYPLOIDIE; POLYPLOIDY; population; Turfgrasses; Buchloe dactyloides; Flow cytometry; Heat resistance; Monocotyledones; Climate; Composition; Ploidy; Determination; Chromosomic number; Nucleic base; Gramineae; Drought resistance; Angiospermae; Population; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop; Adaptation; Clone
• ISSN: 0011-183X; 1435-0653
• DOI: 10.2135/cropsci1998.0011183X003800020034x

Buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] is the subject of breeding programs for turfgrass use because of its drought and heat tolerance, low growing habit, and low management input. Three ploidy levels are known to exist (x = n = 10), but plants at each level are nearly morphologically indistinguishable. In this paper, flow cytometry was evaluated as a means of determining ploidy levels of 31 buffalograss clones and 34 seeded populations. Six clones were analyzed for nuclear DNA base-pair composition by flow cytometry. Based on DNA contents, buffalograss clones can be grouped into four sets corresponding to chromosome number or ploidy level. Mean DNA contents were 0.93, 1.80, 2.15, and 2.63 pg DNA/nucleus for diploid, tetraploid, pentaploid, and hexaploids, respectively. Chromosome numbers explained most of the DNA content variation as shown by the strong linear relationship between DNA content and chromosome number. Cultivar 315 is a pentaploid and is the first report of a pentaploid among buffalograss. Seeded populations analyzed include those exclusively tetraploid, mixture of tetraploid through hexaploid, and those exclusively hexaploid. Aneuploids between pentaploid and hexaploid levels were noted. No differences were observed between ploidy levels or genders with regard to base-pair composition