Publication Date
1989
Description
The most important objective of pasture planning in Southern Africa is to provide grazing during the winter dry months when veld production is either low or of poor quality. Digitaria eriantha (Steud) subsp eriantha is an indigenous perennial grass which is drought tolerant and retains its high palatability after winter frosts. The successful establishment of this grass as winter forage in the dryland rural areas is, however, impaired by its requirement for fertilizer dressing in the form of nitrogen and phosphate. A considerable amount of research has been undertaken in our laboratory on the growth, photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism of D. eriantha (eg Wolfson and Cresswell, 1986). An attempt is now being made to combine these studies with the genetic manipulation and mass propagation of selected variants. As the basis for this programme, this investigation was aimed at the establishment of a protocol for the micropropagation of D. eriantha.
Citation
Watt, M Paula; Mycock, D J.; and Cresswell, C F., "Plant Regeneration by Somatic Embryogensis from Leaf Explants of Digitaria eriantha (Steud) Subsp. Eriantha" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 62.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3b/62
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Plant Regeneration by Somatic Embryogensis from Leaf Explants of Digitaria eriantha (Steud) Subsp. Eriantha
The most important objective of pasture planning in Southern Africa is to provide grazing during the winter dry months when veld production is either low or of poor quality. Digitaria eriantha (Steud) subsp eriantha is an indigenous perennial grass which is drought tolerant and retains its high palatability after winter frosts. The successful establishment of this grass as winter forage in the dryland rural areas is, however, impaired by its requirement for fertilizer dressing in the form of nitrogen and phosphate. A considerable amount of research has been undertaken in our laboratory on the growth, photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism of D. eriantha (eg Wolfson and Cresswell, 1986). An attempt is now being made to combine these studies with the genetic manipulation and mass propagation of selected variants. As the basis for this programme, this investigation was aimed at the establishment of a protocol for the micropropagation of D. eriantha.
