Genetic diversity and species‐specific DNA markers of Cynodon

Abstract

AbstractCynodon Rich. is one of the major turfgrass and forage genera in warmer climates of the United States and other world regions. New cultivars of Cynodon spp. are often developed by hybridization of a limited number of accessions of two species—C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy and C. dactylon (L.) Pers.—or by selection from existing cultivars. This may lead to an erosion of diversity. Several other species of this genus also exhibit desirable traits, and they could be used in the development of new cultivars to increase the range of genetic variation. In this study, the genetic diversity of seven Cynodon species was assessed using Diversity Array Technology sequencing (DArTseq). This technology is capable of identifying single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with no prior DNA sequence information. The 85 analyzed accessions showed considerable genetic variation and formed several distinct groups based on the degree of relatedness. However, none of these groups were comprised of only accessions of the same species, suggesting that DNA marker groupings are not well in agreement with botanical classification for this genus. The identification of species‐specific SNP markers provides an additional tool for species reclassification and may clear up pedigrees of some established cultivars.