Ysn. Ferdinandez et al., Estimating the genetic relationship of hybrid bromegrass to smooth bromegrass and meadow bromegrass using RAPD markers, PLANT BREED, 120(2), 2001, pp. 149-153
The two most widely grown bromegrass species in North America are smooth br
omegrass, a hay type grass, and meadow bromegrass, a pasture type grass. Hy
brid populations between these two species have been developed through hybr
idization and recurrent selection. The objective of this study was to deter
mine the genetic relatedness of the hybrid bromegrass population S-9073M to
its parental populations using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) mar
kers and to determine genetic variation within and between populations. Ind
ividuals from each of the three populations were genotyped at 43 polymorphi
c RAPD loci. One of the RAPD fragments was meadow bromegrass-specific. Clus
ter analysis showed three groups representing the two parental populations
and the hybrid population. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), showe
d that the hybrid population had the highest within-population variation, f
ollowed by meadow bromegrass and smooth bromegrass. The interpopulation gen
etic distance (phi-statistic = Phi (st)) was highest between meadow and smo
oth bromegrass and lowest between smooth and hybrid bromegrass. The hybrid
population was genetically intermediate to smooth bromegrass and meadow bro
megrass, but closer to smooth bromegrass, possibly reflecting the selection
criteria used in the development of this hybrid.