Genetic diversity of a Paspalum notatum Flügge germplasm collection

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity among accessions of Paspalum notatum based on morphological marker traits and identify those morphological traits that contribute most to the variability among accessions. Fifty-three accessions were evaluated for the following traits: length, width, color, and pubescence of sheath; length, width, insertion angle, color of midrib, and pubescence of leaves; number, length, and angle of racemes; length of flowering stems; and plant growth habit (erect or prostrate). Multivariate analysis of the quantitative morphological data based on the Mahalanobis distance and UPGMA method grouped the accessions into 19 heterogeneous clusters. The relative contribution of each trait to cluster formation was obtained using the Singh method. Qualitative morphological traits were used to construct a dendrogram based on Jaccard's similarity, generating 13 clusters. Based on the morphological traits investigated, there is high genetic variation among accessions of P. notatum, demonstrating that these accessions have a good potential for a breeding program. Length of racemes, width of sheath, length of flowering stems, and length of leaves were found to contribute most to the variability among accessions. A number of traits contributed to a lesser degree. The set of characters used are representative of the vast phenotypic plasticity observed in P. notatum, a diversity which is likely to be related to the species apomictic form of reproduction and the origin of the accessions.

Genetic Similarity Among Accessions of Paspalum notatum Flügge (Poaceae): a Potential to Parental Selection

“…The results obtained in this study were in accordance with the large morphologic diversity [21] and variability in dry matter production [2] observed in the same group of accessions in field conditions. The observed genetic similarity allowed separation of the 53 accessions of P. notatum into seven groups and two isolated genotypes.…”

“…The observed genetic similarity allowed separation of the 53 accessions of P. notatum into seven groups and two isolated genotypes. These groups did not present a clear relation with the region of origin of the accessions, as well as forage production [2], morphologic analysis [21] or ploidy [20]. Low genetic similarity was also observed among the diploid accessions, 66N, 67N, 92N, and Pensacola, although they grouped together (Figure 1).…”

“…Four wild diploid accessions of Paspalum notatum have recently been identified [20]. These accessions exhibited higher dry matter production and greater persistence in winter conditions than Pensacola [2], and morphological traits that allow them to be differentiated from Pensacola [21].…”

Transference of natural diversity from the apomictic germplasm of Paspalum notatum to a sexual synthetic population

“…The knowledge of genetic variability is the key for planning and implementing breeding programmes (Poehlman, ). Many studies have been performed in P. notatum assessing genetic variability by means of molecular markers, such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD; Daurelio et al, ), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP; Espinoza, Daurelio, Pessino, Valle, & Quarin, ), intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR; Cidade et al, ; Reyno et al, ) and simple sequence repeat (SSR; Cidade et al, ), and/or through morphologic markers (Barreto, ; Canto‐Dorow, ; Cidade et al, ; Fachinetto, Dall'Agnol, Lopes de Souza, Weiler, & Simioni, ; De Moraes Fernandes et al, ; Reyno et al, ). In all evaluated cases, a high genetic variability was found and morphologic markers allowed the differentiation of botanical groups.…”

New wild diploids in Paspalum notatum Flügge (Poaceae): potential accessions for use in breeding.

“…Furthermore, these accessions showed superior persistence to winter conditions than Pensacola (Fachinetto et al 2012). Moreover, morphological analyses indicated that the four diploid accessions grouped separately from each other and Pensacola (Fachinetto et al 2017).…”