Abstract
Chloris gayana is a warm-season grass, often cultivated in areas where soil salinity is a major constraint for forage production. Five cultivars (2 unselected populations and 3 synthetic varieties) were evaluated through agronomic traits as well as Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs) and Sequence-related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) molecular markers. The consensus between both agronomic and molecular data sets was high (>99%) suggesting that both systems provided similar estimates of genetic relationships. The analysis revealed that synthetic varieties, Finecut, Topcut and Santana, were the most genetically different cultivars, whereas the unselected populations, Pioneer and Katambora, were closely related. Responses to salinity stress during germination and early vegetative growth stages were evaluated in only the synthetic varieties. The results showed that Finecut and Santana were able to germinate in the same proportion as controls even at concentrations of 200 mM NaCl. Under hydroponic conditions, Santana attained approximately 20% higher total dry weight than the other 2 varieties and the longest roots. Finecut presented the highest root dry weight. These results suggested that Santana and Finecut showed high salinity tolerance at germination and early vegetative growth stages, both crucial phases when seeking a successful pasture establishment, particularly in saline environments. Further studies in the field are needed to determine if these hydroponic results are reproduced under field conditions.
Highlights
Chloris gayana Kunth, a gramineous perennial species native to Africa, is one of the most important warmseason forage grasses in subtropical and tropical areas of the world (Ponsens et al 2010)
Finecut presented the highest root dry weight. These results suggested that Santana and Finecut showed high salinity tolerance at germination and early vegetative growth stages, both crucial phases when seeking a successful pasture establishment, in saline environments
This study presents 3 major contributions: 1) the characterization of diploid unselected populations and synthetic varieties of C. gayana via agronomic traits and Sequence-related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) and Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs) molecular markers; 2) the identification of high consensus (>99%) between molecular markers and agronomic traits, suggesting that both systems provided similar estimates of genetic relationships; and 3) novel evidence showing existence of variability in salinity tolerance among diploid synthetic varieties of C. gayana
Summary
Chloris gayana Kunth, a gramineous perennial species native to Africa, is one of the most important warmseason forage grasses in subtropical and tropical areas of the world (Ponsens et al 2010). This species is being introduced into temperate areas as a consequence of increasing minimum temperatures (i.e. less severe winters) because of global warming (Imaz et al 2015), so its importance as a forage species is increasing worldwide. Chloris gayana is a cross-pollinated species that includes diploid as well as tetraploid cytotypes, and the degree of salt tolerance and other agronomic attributes vary among populations or commercial cultivars (Loch et al 2004). A comparative analysis (consensus) using molecular and agronomic data has not been reported for Chloris gayana
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