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In vitro chemical mutagenesis improves the turf quality of bahiagrass

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Abstract

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) is a warm season, low-input, perennial turfgrass used for residential lawns and sides of road ways. The turf quality of bahiagrass is limited by its open growth habit, light green color, and prolific production of tall seedheads. Genetic improvement of the tetraploid bahiagrass turf cultivar ‘Argentine’ by conventional breeding is difficult due to its apomictic mode of reproduction. Our objective was to explore the potential of in vitro chemical mutagenesis for the generation of uniform, mutant seed progeny with improved turf quality. Scarified, surface sterilized bahiagrass seeds were treated with different concentrations of the chemical mutagen ‘sodium azide’. Callus was induced from these seeds and 19,630 plants were regenerated via somatic embryogenesis. 2,035 of these plants were selected based on their morphological characteristics and transferred to soil. Wildtype bahiagrass and 46 mutant lines (M1 lines) with reduced stem lengths, higher tiller densities or reduced or delayed seedhead formation were established under field conditions. Mutant lines with improved traits and production of viable apomictic seeds were identified and their apomictic M2 progeny was evaluated. A superior line displayed higher density, finer leaves, an upright growth habit, dark green color, reduced seedhead formation and uniform seed progeny in replicated, two location field trials. Beside this improved turf quality, this line also retained the superior drought tolerance and persistence that make bahiagrass a popular low-input turfgrass.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Southwest Florida Water Management District for funding this research project, Loan Ngo for technical assistance, and Dr. Janice Zale for contributing to the editing of this manuscript and Sun Gro Horticulture for donation of the Fafard #2 potting mix.

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Author notes

  1. Nelson Horacio Davila-Olivas

    Present address: Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

  2. Paula Lomba

    Present address: Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Puerto Rico, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agronomy Department, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Baskaran Kannan, Nelson Horacio Davila-Olivas, Paula Lomba & Fredy Altpeter

  2. Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, IFAS, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Fredy Altpeter

  3. University of Florida Genetics Institute, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Fredy Altpeter

Authors
  1. Baskaran Kannan
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  2. Nelson Horacio Davila-Olivas
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  3. Paula Lomba
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  4. Fredy Altpeter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fredy Altpeter.

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Supplementary Fig. 1

Visual Ratings for desirable turf characteristic in the field. a stem length b density c leaf texture. Visual ratings were assigned a rating using a 1–9 scale with 1 being (a) shortest stem length (b) least dense or (c) coarsest leaf texture and 9 being (a) longest stem length, (b) most dense or (c) finest leaf texture. * Indicates significant difference compared to WT at α = 0.05. (PPT 152 kb)

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Kannan, B., Davila-Olivas, N.H., Lomba, P. et al. In vitro chemical mutagenesis improves the turf quality of bahiagrass. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 120, 551–561 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-014-0621-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-014-0621-2

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