Cytogenetic Observations of Cultivated Creeping Bentgrass and Related Agrostis Species.

The genus Agrostis and particularly cultivated creeping, colonial, and velvet bentgrasses are highly outcrossing perennial grass species with efficient asexual reproductive strategies through the production of rhizomes and stolons.  These reproductive strategies have resulted in frequent chromosomal abnormalities that may be limiting chromosomal recombination.  Genetic diversity assessments within cultivated bentgrasses indicate that in some cultivars diversity has been significantly reduced.  In order to expand the genetic base of cultivated bentgrasses and potentially transfer desirable biotic and abiotic stress resistance from related Agrostis species it is important to develop an understanding of evolutionary genome relationships within this diverse and complicated genus.  Polyploidy is a common feature of the Agrosits genus and efforts to predict ploidy level through flow cytometry have had limited success because of DNA content variation within ploidy levels.  Cytogenetic studies are being undertaken to better understand evolutionary genome relationships within the Agrostis genus and to develop breeding strategies for the transfer of desirable genes between species and ploidy levels.  Data will be presented on the level of seed set from self-fertilization and interploidy crosses.  In addition, common chromosomal abnormalities within the genus will be presented.