Title:

Assessing Cultivar Integrity and Seed Crop Contamination with Molecular Genetic Markers

Objectives:

1. Develop a cultivar database by: Identifying oligonucleotide primers that amplify specific-length segments of known DNA from perennial ryegrass parental genotypes, and Use computer binomial matrix reduction from a series of primers on extracted DNA from individuals plants to construct fingerprints of known cultivars
2. Separate unknowns into cultivars using developed database.

Principle Investigators and Cooperators:

William C. Young III, OSU Seed Production Specialist
Ronald L. Cook, OSU Seed Certification Specialist
Reed E. Barker, ARS Research Geneticist
George Mueller-Warrant, ARS Weed Scientist
Caprice Rosato, OSU Research Assistant
Lori Evans, USDA Technician
William Hines, USDA Technician
Mark Mellbye, OSU District Extension Agent
Oscar Gutbrod, OSU Seed Certification Specialist
Gale Gingrich, OSU County Agent

Abstract:

DNA Amplification Fingerprinting was completed using seven primers on template DNA from each of 70 plants per cultivar. Gels were scanned with an imaging densitometer and band profiles determined. DNA has been extracted from the unknown plants.

Justification:

Volunteer seedlings from a previous crop year, or previous cultivar crop can seriously contaminate current crop seed production. When changing from one cultivar to another, growers of perennial ryegrass have an option called modifying crop history. Success of the option is conditional on being able to adequately identify volunteer seedling contamination. Traditionally, contamination has been measured by counting seedlings between newly seeded rows. Two questions arose among growers and seed certification; 1) How many volunteer seedlings from the previous cultivar are "hidden" under the carbon band in the seeded row, and 2) Can contaminating seedlings be recognized in ways other than visual counts? Definite genetic tests to identify varieties would better protect both seed producers and buyers.