Bahiagrass

Abstract

Bahiagrass is a commercially important warm‐season forage and turf grass in the southeastern United States and other subtropical regions. Its popularity among ranchers and homeowners is attributed to persistence under drought, infertility, pest and disease pressures, mowing, and grazing. Bahiagrass has apomictic tetraploid and sexual diploid genotypes, both of which have commercially important cultivars. Development of improved cultivars by traditional breeding is limited by the genetic variability within diploid genotypes and the lack of genetic recombination in apomictic bahiagrass. Genetic engineering of bahiagrass is likely to contribute to the development of improved cultivars. Alternative genetic transformation protocols will be described. Apomictic bahiagrass is a preferred target for genetic transformation due to enhanced uniformity of seed‐derived progeny and transgene containment. Genetic transformation of apomictic cultivar “Argentine” has recently been successfully used to confer herbicide resistance, insect resistance, stress tolerance, and improved turf quality. Genetic transformation of bahiagrass is discussed with regard to crop improvement, risk assessment, and risk management.