Author
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Kindiger, Bryan |
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Submitted to: United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 10/14/2006 Publication Date: 12/20/2006 Citation: Kindiger, B.K. 2006. Utilizing genetically diverse Festuca arundinaceae recoveries from a Lolium multiflorum x Festuca arundinaceae population to evaluate endophyte interaction and performance. United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources. 12: 12-14. Interpretive Summary: The generation and development of cool-season, perennial grass forages exhibiting tolerance to the heat and drought extremes of the southern plains of the USA remains an important objective for further sustainability of the stocker calf beef industry in Oklahoma. Tall fescue is one species that exhibits promise for grazing livestock systems in both grasslands and pastures. Tall fescue in known to have a symbiotic relationship between a naturally occurring endophyte and its presence is suggested to provide added tolerance to environmental stress. The hybridization of Italian ryegrass and tall fescue has been undertaken to develop a series of plant materials that would exhibit superior tolerance to the environmental extremes of the region. Evaluations of offspring generated from this population were identified to contain several tall fescue individuals having no known Italian ryegrass genetic contribution. How these materials may be utilized to evaluate endophyte-plant genome interactions and measure an endophytes contribution in providing added tolerance to stress in tall fescue is discussed. Technical Abstract: Development of cool-season perennial grass forages exhibiting adaptation and persistence to the environmental extremes of the southern plains region of the USA would provide an important contribution toward sustaining the regions grazing livestock industry. Festuca arundinaceae, a sustainable cool-season perennial grass forage, represents one species where persistence and tolerance to stress can be manipulated by improvements through plant breeding or by the inclusion of a Neotyphodium coenophialum endophyte. Following a wide hybridization program utilizing an endophyte-free Lolium multiflorum population, several F1 hybrids were generated and selected for their tolerance to low nitrogen inputs, high summer temperature and prolonged drought conditions. Several F2 offspring obtained from the F1 hybrids were identified to be tall fescue recoveries possessing a 2n=6x=42 genome composition. The generation of several genetically diverse, tall fescue lines exhibiting tolerance to environmental stress offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the performance and interaction of various forms of N. coenophialum endophyte across a genetically diverse set tall fescue genotypes. This report discusses the potential use of evaluating endophyte interaction and endophyte contributions in these materials. |
