ISSN 2756-3839
International Journal of Nematology and Entomology ISSN 9321-5320 Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
DNA content of several bermudagrass accessions in Florida
Wenjing Pang1*, William T. Crow1 and Kevin E. Kenworthy2
1Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620, United States.
2Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0500, United States.
Accepted 09 March, 2019
Abstract
Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) is widely used on golf courses and sport fields in Florida. Most cultivars used on golf courses are triploid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. var. dactylon × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) resulting from hybridizations between tetraploid common bermudagrass and diploid African bermudagrass. In order to breed and develop bermudagrass cultivars with superior characteristics, it is essential to know the ploidy levels of available bermudagrass accessions and select fertile ones. The objective of this study was to determine the DNA content and ploidy level of bermudagrass germplasm accessions in the University of Florida germplasm collection to aid in future cultivar breeding. Flow cytometry was used to determine the nuclear DNA contents of 48 bermudagrass accessions, and one diploid (2%), 19 triploid (40%), 24 tetraploid (50%), one pentaploid (2%) and three hexaploid (6%) accessions were identified. The range of the nuclear DNA contents was 1.17, 1.38 to 1.61, 1.94 to 2.24, 2.47 and 2.64 to 2.75 pg/2C nucleus-1 for the respective ploidy levels. As such, tetraploid and hexaploid accessions could be utilized for future breeding efforts. The triploid accessions could be the results of mutations that have occurred in existing commercial bermudagrass cultivars or from natural hybrids between diploid C. transvaalensis and tetraploid C. dactylon.
Key words: Cynodon spp., flow cytometry, nuclear DNA content, ploidy level.