Identification and characterization of creeping bentgrass using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera var. stolonifera) is the most widely used cool-season turfgrass for golf course greens, tees, and fairways in the United States. The use of molecular techniques in turfgrass research has increased over the last decade. The production of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers provides a reliable mechanism for generating an almost infinite number of polymorphisms useful in cultivar identification, and in assaying individuals within a population to study the behavior of cultivars in a blend in response to selection pressure.; The potential of using RAPD markers to identify bulk seed samples of 13 synthetic creeping bentgrass cultivars was examined. Two seed lots were evaluated for five of the 13 cultivars. Eight primers produced unique polymorphic amplification fragments that identified 11 of the 13 cultivars. Two cultivars were not identified because the distinguishing amplification fragments of one seed lot were absent in the second seed lot of the same cultivar. These results demonstrate that RAPD markers have the potential to be a valuable tool for the identification of synthetic turfgrass cultivars as long as precautions are taken to account for possible seed lot effects.; As the use of RAPD markers for cultivar identification increases, it becomes important to relate leaf tissue from the field to the seed populations used to establish the turfgrass. RAPD marks that distinguished bulk seed samples of SR1020, Lopez, and Providence were evaluated for reproducibility in leaf tissue. Each cultivar was identifiable regardless of the tissue used for extraction. This study illustrates the potential of RAPD markers to relate seed and field populations of creeping bentgrass.; Blending cultivars is a common turfgrass management practice on golf courses. RAPD markers were used to evaluate the influence of dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) on intraspecific competition in a blend of two creeping bentgrass cultivars. No significant difference in the composition of the blend for the three disease levels evaluated was observed. A significant reduction in the percentage of one cultivar within the blend at the conclusion of the 2-yr study was noted. The relative aggressiveness of the cultivars appears to have influenced the composition of the blend.