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Fertility of Hybrids between Two Geographic Races of Tall Fescue 1
Author(s) -
Hunt K. L.,
Sleper D. A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1981.0011183x002100030012x
Subject(s) - biology , hybrid , festuca arundinacea , pollen , sterility , botany , embryo rescue , germination , agronomy , horticulture , poaceae , interspecific hybridization
Increasing genetic variation by crossing geographic races is commonly recognized as desirable. The objectives were to determine the extent of sterility among American and Tunisian tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb .) F, hybrids. Genotypes from Portugal, France, and Algeria were selected as intermediate accessions and were mated to those adapted to America and Tunisia. Hybrids were separated into two groups based on the extent of meiotic irregularities. The most fertile hybrids (Group 1) had mean chromosome configurations of 0.65 univalents, 20.07 bivalents, 0.17 trivalents, and 0.18 quadrivalents. Group 2 had mean chromosome configurations of 4.90 univalents, 13.44 bivalents, 1.46 trivalents, 1.37 quadrivalents and occasional pentavalents and hexavalents. Pollen stainability of Group 1 hybrids ranged from 59 to 81% while Group 2 hybrids ranged from 1 to 13%. Seed germination ranged from 36 to 94% and 2 to 20% for Group 1 and 2, respectively. Only one genotype, B6‐13, showed the best attributes for donating Tunisian‐race genes to American cultivated tall fescue