Genetic Variability of US and Czech Phalaris Arundinacea L. Wild and Cultivated Populations

Abstract

The spread of invasive plant species in natural habitats has become a worldwide problem with negative impacts. Phalaris arundinacea, an important forage and ornamental crop, is widespread worldwide. In recent years there has been a massive spread of P. arundinacea across North America and Canada. Production of Phalaris seed as a forage crop occurs in northern Minnesota; seeds are sold throughout the world, particularly in central Europe. We tested genetic similarities and diferences between populations in the US (Minnesota) and the Czech Republic using ISSRs to determine potential gene low for this forage crop.The cultivated forage and wild genotypes were dispersed into two groups that overlapped. At least four sets of wild US genotypes are dissimilar to European counterparts and potentially native to N. America. Future work to prove the ancestry of each accession will be necessary. Nonetheless, the sale of forage cultivars related to or derived from European types causes genetic mixing with N. American types. Part of this intercontinental gene low is exacerbated by the production of Phalaris forage seed in Minnesota. The implications of these indings for management of invasive crops native to both continents are signiicant for forage producers, managers, and breeders.

Riparian populations of minnesota reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) are most likely native, based on SNPs (DArTseqLD)

“…Thus, range expansion of reed canarygrass in North America was a not result of hybridization among exotic, forage, and native varietas (Nelson et al 2014) despite previous theories to that effect (Lavergne and Molofsky 2007). More recent research using ISSRs on N. America (Minnesota) wild and cultivated samples showed two slightly overlapping groups separating cultivated samples from wild (Kávová et al 2017). Anderson et al (2016) showed that, based on ISSR markers, all European ornamental cultivars were distinct from wild Czech Republic populations (varietas) while the Czech forage 'Chrastava' was similar to wild types.…”

“…Herbaria RCG leaf samples, many of which were previously sampled for AFLP or ISSR/SSR analyses (Jakubowski et al 2013;Nelson et al 2014;Kávová et al 2017), were collected from the University of Minnesota Herbarium (Bell Museum of Natural History, St. Paul, MN). This herbarium collection represents early North American RCG germplasm that is highly likely to be native to Minnesota (Merigliano and Lesica 1998;LaVoie et al 2005).…”

“…2b). Comparatively, the Czech Republic in Central Europe is at a similar latitude to Minnesota, has a large number of freshwater rivers that outflow both north and south, many historic fish ponds, canal systems, and wet meadows dominated by RCG (Anderson et al 2016;Kávová et al 2017;. This collection represents wild Czech Republic RCG types (Table 5 and Fig.…”

“…Total gDNA was extracted from about 50 mg of leaf tissue using the gDNA extraction kit (96 Well Synergy TM Plant DNA Extraction Kit; OPS Diagnostics Laboratory, Lebanon, NJ) with small modifications to the manufacturer's protocol. Due to the limited tissue supply of herbarium RCG samples, the Synergy TM 2.0 Plant DNA Extraction Kit (single tube DNA purification kit) Kávová et al (2013). The final purified herbarium and extant RCG samples (20ll of 20 ngÁlL -1 /sample) were submitted to Diversity Arrays Technologies (Bruce, ACT, Australia) for DNA polymorphism identification (SNPs).…”

“…of Natural Resources, n.d.;. Roseau, MN is the site for production of seed of RCG forage cultivars and birdseed (P. canariensis; Anonymous 2012; Kávová et al 2017;). In the last century, RCG has spread widely throughout the state and land managers have been continuously confronted with its control as an invasive exotic species (Galatowitsch et al 1999).…”