Publication Date
1989
Description
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a perennial forage grass grown on over 10 million ha worldwide. In the southern United States, it is used extensively for grazing and the production of hay. It is a well adapted grass, but improvements in traits such as forage quality and pest resistance are needed. Much variation in the nutritional value exists between genotypes. Tissue culture offers a method for the production of improved germplasm. Most plants regenerated from callus cultures will vary from the original variety from which they were derived. This phenomenon is referred to as somaclonal variation and can be used to produce useful germplasm. This paper reports the development of a tissue culture system for the production of bermudagrass somaclones and the preliminary tests used to identify useful germplasm.
Citation
Croughan, S S., "Forage Crop Improvement Through Biotechnology" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 72.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3b/72
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Forage Crop Improvement Through Biotechnology
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a perennial forage grass grown on over 10 million ha worldwide. In the southern United States, it is used extensively for grazing and the production of hay. It is a well adapted grass, but improvements in traits such as forage quality and pest resistance are needed. Much variation in the nutritional value exists between genotypes. Tissue culture offers a method for the production of improved germplasm. Most plants regenerated from callus cultures will vary from the original variety from which they were derived. This phenomenon is referred to as somaclonal variation and can be used to produce useful germplasm. This paper reports the development of a tissue culture system for the production of bermudagrass somaclones and the preliminary tests used to identify useful germplasm.
