Premium
RAPD Marker Diversity among Creeping Bentgrass Clones
Author(s) -
Casler Michael D.,
Rangel Yolibeth,
Stier John C.,
Jung Geunhwa
Publication year - 2003
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/cropsci2003.6880
Subject(s) - biology , agrostis stolonifera , rapd , agrostis , perennial plant , population , genetic diversity , temperate climate , botany , agronomy , ecology , poaceae , demography , sociology
Creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera L.) is currently one of the most desirable grasses for golf courses in temperate regions. Old golf courses often have populations of creeping bentgrass clones that have persisted for many years, possibly surviving since the original construction. Over time, environmental stresses and diseases may cause shifts in the genetic composition of bentgrass populations as natural selection occurs. The objective of this study was to conduct a survey of RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) marker diversity within a population of 110 creeping bentgrass clones. The clones were collected from putting greens or fairways of 17 golf courses that were at least 75 yr old. Thirteen RAPD primers resulted in 99 polymorphic bands. Two multidimensional scales varied among golf courses for fairway‐collected clones. Much of this variation was attributed to presettlement historic vegetation (northern coniferous, hardwood–prairie, or transition). The most unique population of creeping bentgrass clones was collected on the visually unique fairways at the Marshfield Country Club, containing the greatest diversity of perennial grass species. Clones collected from putting greens were not differentiated by golf courses, suggesting that the putting green environment was sufficiently homogeneous across golf courses that its impact on natural selection was largely uniform.