Abstract
An efficient method for crossing green foxtail (Setaria viridis) is currently lacking. S. viridis is considered to be the new model plant for the study of C4 system in monocots and so an effective crossing protocol is urgently needed. S. viridis is a small grass with C4-NADP (ME) type of photosynthesis and has the advantage of having small genome of about 515 Mb, small plant stature, short life cycle, multiple tillers, and profuse seed set, and hence is an ideal model species for research. The objectives of this project were to develop efficient methods of emasculation and pollination, and to speed up generation advancement. We assessed the response of S. viridis flowers to hot water treatment (48°C) and to different concentrations of gibberellic acid, abscisic acid, maleic hydrazide (MH), and kinetin. We found that 500 μM of MH was effective in the emasculation of S. viridis, whilst still retaining the receptivity of the stigma to pollination. We also report effective ways to accelerate the breeding cycle of S. viridis for research through the germination of mature as well as immature seeds in optimized culture media. We believe these findings will be of great interest to researchers using Setaria.
Highlights
Green foxtail (Setaria viridis) is one of the most widely used genetic systems for research on C4 photosynthesis and Panicoid grasses; in addition it is the ancestral wild relative of S. italica, an important cultivated millet [1, 2]
With the increased interest and funding for C4 photosynthesis research related to the wider aim of the introduction of C4 characteristics into C3 cereals to enhance yield, S. viridis has been widely used for basic research for the identification of genes related to C4 biochemistry and leaf anatomy [3,4,5]
We found that only the maleic hydrazide (MH) solutions of 500 μM and higher concentrations were able to suppress the seed set completely, MH was the most effective chemical gametocide that could be used for the chemical emasculation of S. viridis (Table 1)
Summary
Green foxtail (Setaria viridis) is one of the most widely used genetic systems for research on C4 photosynthesis and Panicoid grasses; in addition it is the ancestral wild relative of S. italica, an important cultivated millet [1, 2]. With the increased interest and funding for C4 photosynthesis research related to the wider aim of the introduction of C4 characteristics into C3 cereals to enhance yield, S. viridis has been widely used for basic research for the identification of genes related to C4 biochemistry and leaf anatomy [3,4,5]. It is an emerging model system for C4 monocots, weeds, and biofuel research because of its short life cycle, small plant stature, small genome of about 515 Mb (2n = 18), simple cultivation requirement, and profuse seed set [6]. For genetic studies such as gene identification and population improvement, efficient
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
