Abstract
We evaluated survival percentage under salt stress in 46 diploid and tetraploid clones of rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana K.) with the aim of obtaining salt tolerant clones. Fifteen clones were selected at 600mM NaCl under hydroponic conditions. Survival percentage of the selected clones ranged between 50–100% and 50–75% for diploid and tetraploid clones, respectively. Genetic diversity among the 15 salt-tolerant clones was assessed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). All tetraploid clones showed genetic diversity, whereas the diploid group included some genetically related clones. Clones tolerant at 600mM NaCl and showed genetic diversity are proposed as parents for new synthetic varieties of each rhodesgrass ploidy.
Highlights
In the last 14 years, agriculture in Argentina has expanded to 12 million acres formerly devoted to livestock production, increasing cattle stock in the northeastern and northwestern regions of the country
12 clones derived from an accession from the south of Africa 11 clones derived from an accession from the west of Africa 2 clones derived from an accession from the north of Córdoba-Argentina 2 clones derived from cultivar Katambora Tetraploid clones (T) 19 clones derived from cultivar Boma
The clones evaluated at 600 mM NaCl differed significantly (Pb 0.0001) in survival percentage (SP), which allowed us to discriminate clones based on their level of salinity tolerance, in agreement with de Luca et al (2001) and Luna et al (2000)
Summary
In the last 14 years, agriculture in Argentina has expanded to 12 million acres formerly devoted to livestock production, increasing cattle stock in the northeastern and northwestern regions of the country. In Argentina, rhodesgrass has been widely used in stock breeding and rebreeding systems because of its ease of establishment, persistence, high productivity, grazing resistance, and good quality throughout the year (Luna et al, 2002; Pérez et al, 1999). It is a perennial, outbreeding gramineae, with a 1–4% level of self-compatibility (Bogdan, 1977; Nakagawa et al, 1987; Ribotta, 2011; Skerman and Riveros, 1990). Rhodesgrass has diploid and tetraploid forms, which may differ in traits such as growth habit, flowering time, seed production, dry mass production, quality, and tolerance to drought, frosts and salinity (Loch et al, 2004; Pérez, 2005)
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