Submitted to: International Journal of Plant Genomics
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2016
Publication Date: 7/15/2016
Citation: Kindiger, B.K. 2016. Gamete selection for forage quality improvement in tall fescue [abstract]. In: Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Plant Geonomics, July 14-15, 2016, Brisbane, Australia. 4(3):88.

Interpretive Summary: Superior grass forages must have competitive, if not superior nutritional qualities in order to provide for the needs of grazing livestock. A single pollen grain selection approach was applied to 35 ryegrass-tall fescue F1 hybrids and their dihaploid tall fescue offspring for the study. Forage quality levels regarding crude protein, acid digestible fiber, neutral digestible fiber and in vitro dry matter digestibility were performed on the F1 and the tall fescue offspring to determine the effectiveness of the approach and the heritability of the forage quality trait. Results of the study indicate this selection approach is efficient and can reduce breeding time for the selection of tall fescue possessing superior nutritional quality. This approach is specific to tall fescue, but may have application to other species represented in the Lolium/Festuca genus

Technical Abstract: Within the Festuca-Lolium genome complex there is a need for modern breeding approaches that facilitate the rapid development of improved germplasm or cultivars. Traditional recurrent or mass-selection methods for population or synthetic development are labor intensive and time consuming. The use of a novel annual ryegrass Lolium multiflorum line, possessing the ability to generate dihaploid offspring when hybridized with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb., was utilized to generate F1 hybrids that are capable of exhibiting genome loss of either the ryegrass tall fescue genome. This genome loss behavior results in the recovery of both ryegrass and tall fescue dihaploid lines. Gamete selection performed at the F1 generation was found to be an effective approach for selecting genotypes possessing superior forage qualities for crude protein, acid digestible fiber, neutral digestible fiber and in vitro dry matter digestibility. This approach may have application toward the selection of additional quantitative forage quality or agronomic attributes in tall fescue germplasm.