Abstract
Seed yield is a trait of major interest for the key grassland species Lolium perenne L. An F2 map** population of perennial ryegrass (VrnA), recently characterised for vernalisation response, was assessed in a glasshouse for traits related to seed yield based on a lattice design with four replications over 2 years. The traits heading date, plant height, length of panicles, number of panicles per plant, seed yield per panicle, flag leaf length, flag leaf width and seed yield per plant revealed repeatabilities ranging from 41 to 76% and a considerable amount of genetic variation in the VrnA population. Path analysis partitioned the direct and indirect effects of seed yield components on seed yield per plant. Seed yield per panicle showed the highest effect on total seed yield. The adjusted mean values of each trait and a genetic linkage map consisting of 97 anonymous and 85 gene associated DNA markers were used for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. Of particular interest were two QTL on linkage group (LG) 1 and LG 2, explaining 41 and 18%, respectively, of the observed phenotypic variation for the trait seed yield per panicle. Both QTL co-located with two major QTL for total seed yield per plant possibly representing the S and Z loci of the gametophytic self incompatibility (SI) system of perennial ryegrass. The diversity of SI alleles in map** parents and the degree of heterozygosity at SI loci in the full sib progeny determines the interference of self incompatibility with seed production.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen JR, Lübberstedt T (2003) Functional markers in plants. Trends Plant Sci 8:554–560
Andersen JR, Jensen LB, Asp T, Lübberstedt T (2006) Vernalization response in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) involves orthologues of diploid wheat (Triticum monococcum) VRN1 and Rice (Oryza sativa) Hd1. Plant Mol Biol 60:481–494
Armstead IP, Skøt L, Turner LB, Skøt K, Donnison IS, Humphreys MO, King IP (2005) Identification of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne (L.)) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis (Huds.)) candidate orthologous sequences to the rice Hd1(Se1) and barley HvCO1 CONSTANS-like genes through comparative map** and microsynteny. New Phytol 167:239–247
Bahmani I, Thom ER, Matthew C, Hooper RJ, Lemaire G (2003) Tiller dynamics of perennial ryegrass cultivars derived from different New Zealand ecotypes: effects of cultivar, season, nitrogen fertiliser, and irrigation. Aust J Agric Res 54:803–817
Bean EW (1972) Clonal evaluation for increased seed production in two species of forage grasses, Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and Phleum pratense L. Euphytica 21:377–383
Blake NK, Lanning SP, Martin JM, Sherman JD, Talbert LE (2007) Relationship of flag leaf characteristics to economically important traits in two spring wheat crosses. Crop Sci 47:491–496
Brazauskas G, Pašakinskienė I (2008) SNP genoty** for axillary tiller formation in perennial ryegrass. In: Studer B, Lübberstedt T (eds) Proceedings of XXVIIth EUCARPIA symposium on improvement of fodder crops and amenity grasses, Copenhagen, KU LIFE (in press)
Bugge G (1987) Selection for seed yield in Lolium perenne L. Plant Breed 98:149–155
Cattani DJ, Gjuric R, Feindel DE, Miller PR, Smith SR (1997) Management requirements for dryland cree** bentgrass seed production. In: Proceedings of the 18th international grassland congress, Saskatoon, pp 51–52
Charlesworth D (1989) Why do plants produce so many more ovules than seeds? Nature 338:21–22
Chastain TG, Grabe DF (1989a) Spring establishment of orchardgrass seed crops with cereal companion crops. Crop Sci 29:466–471
Chastain TG, Grabe DF (1989b) Spring establishment of turf-type tall fescue seed crops with cereal companion crops. Agron J 81:488–493
Chastain TG, Young WC, Garbacik CJ, Quebbeman BM (1995) Post-harvest residue management for perennial ryegrass seed crops. Agronomy Abstracts. American Society of Agronomy, Madison
Chastain TG, Kiemnec GL, Cook GH, Garbacik CJ, Quebbeman BM, Crowe FJ (1997) Residue management strategies for Kentucky bluegrass seed production. Crop Sci 37:1836–1840
Cornish MA, Hayward MD, Lawrence MJ (1979) Self-incompatibility in ryegrass. I. Genetic control in diploid Lolium perenne L. Heredity 43:95–106
Devos KM (2005) Updating the ‘crop circle’. Curr Opin Plant Biol 8:155–162
Doebley J, Stec A, Gustus C (1995) teosinte branched1 and the origin of maize: Evidence for epistasis and the evolution of dominance. Genetics 141:333–346
Elgersma A (1990) Genetic variation for seed yield in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Plant Breed 105:117–125
Elgersma A, Śnieżko R (1988) Cytology of seed development related to floret position in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Euphytica 39:59–68
Elgersma A, van Wijk A (1997) Breeding for higher seed yield in grasses and forage legumes. In: Fairey DT, Hampton JG (eds) Forage seed production. 1 Temperate species. CAB International, Oxon, pp 243–272
Entz MH, Smith SR, Cattani DJ, Storgaard AK (1994) Influence of post-harvest residue management and cultivar on tiller dynamics and seed yield in timothy. Can J Plant Sci 74:507–513
Ergon Å, Fang C, Jørgensen Ø, Aamlid TS, Rognli OA (2006) Quantitative trait loci controlling vernalisation requirement, heading time and number of panicles in meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). Theor Appl Genet 112:232–242
Fang C, Aamlid TS, Jørgensen Ø, Rognli OA (2004) Phenotypic and genotypic variation in seed production traits within a full-sib family of meadow fescue. Plant Breed 123:241–246
Fuong FT, Voylokov AV, Smirnov VG (1993) Genetic studies of self-fertility in rye (Secale cereale L.). 2. The search for isozyme marker genes linked to self-incompatibility loci. Theor Appl Genet 87:619–623
Garay AH, Matthew C, Hodgson J (1999) Tiller size/density compensation in perennial ryegrass miniature swards subject to differing defoliation heights and a proposed productivity index. Grass Forage Sci 54:347–356
Holland JB (2007) Genetic architecture of complex traits in plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol 10:156–161
Humphreys MW, Yadav RS, Cairns AJ, Turner LB, Humphreys J, Skøt L (2006) A changing climate for grassland research. New Phytol 169:9–26
Inoue M, Gao ZS, Cai HW (2004) QTL analysis of lodging resistance and related traits in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). Theor Appl Genet 109:1576–1585
Jensen LB, Andersen JR, Frei U, ** of vernalization response in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) reveals co-location with an orthologue of wheat VRN1. Theor Appl Genet 110:527–536
Lopes MS, Cortadellas N, Kichey T, Dubois F, Habash D, Araus J (2006) Wheat nitrogen metabolism during grain filling: comparative role of glumes and the flag leaf. Planta 225:165–181
Marshall C, Ludlam D (1989) The pattern of abortion of develo** seeds in Lolium perenne L. Ann Bot 63:19–28
Marshall AH, Wilkins PW (2003) Improved seed yield in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) from two generations of phenotypic selection. Euphytica 133:233–241
Martin J, Storgaard M, Andersen CH, Nielsen KK (2004) Photoperiodic regulation of flowering in perennial ryegrass involving a CONSTANS-like homolog. Plant Mol Biol 56:159–169
Peng S, Cassman KG, Virmani SS, Sheehy J, Khush GS (1999) Yield potential trends of tropical rice since the release of IR8 and the challenge of increasing rice yield potential. Crop Sci 39:1552–1559
R Development Core Team (2007) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. ISBN 3-900051-07-0. http://www.R-project.org
Schejbel B, Jensen LB, Asp T, ** of QTL for resistance to powdery mildew and resistance gene analogues in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Plant Breed (in press)
Shah SG, Pearson CJ, Read JW (1990) Variability in habit, flowering and seed production within the Kangaroo Valley cultivar of Lolium perenne when grown in a range of environments. Aust J Agric Res 41:901–909
Stephenson AG (1981) Flower and fruit abortion: Proximate causes and ultimate functions. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 12:253–279
Studer B, Asp T, Frei U, Hentrup S, Meally H, Guillard A, Barth S, Muylle H, Roldán-Ruiz I, Barre P, Koning-Boucoiran C, Uenk-Stunnenberg G, Dolstra O, Skøt L, Skøt K, Turner L, Humphreys M, Kölliker R, Roulund N, Nielsen KK, Lübberstedt T (2008) Expressed sequence tag-derived microsatellite markers of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Mol Breed 21:533–548
Sutherland S, Delph LF (1984) On the importance of male fitness in plants: Patterns of fruit-set. Ecology 65:1093–1104
Thorogood D, Kaiser WJ, Jones JG, Armstead I (2002) Self-incompatibility in ryegrass 12. Genoty** and map** the S and Z loci of Lolium perenne L. Heredity 88:385–390
Utz HF (2000) PLABSTAT: a computer program for statistical analysis of plant breeding experiments. Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart
Van Ooijen JW, Maliepaard C (1996) MapQTL™ version 3.0: software for the calculation of QTL positions on genetic maps. CPRO-DLO, Wageningen
Van Ooijen JW, Voorrips RE (2001) JoinMap® 3.0. Software for the calculation of genetic linkage maps. Plant Research International, Wageningen
van Wijk A (1980) Breeding for improved herbage and seed yield in Setaria sphaecelata (Schumach). In: Hubbard SA (ed) Agricultural Research Report 900, Wageningen
Wilkins PW (1995) Independence of dry matter yield and leaf yield among perennial ryegrass varieties differing in seasonal yield distribution. Grass Forage Sci 50:155–161
Wright S (1923) Correlation and causation. J Agric Res 20:557–587
Yamada T, Jones ES, Cogan NOI, Vecchies AC, Nomura T, Hisano H, Shimamoto Y, Smith KF, Hayward MD, Forster JW (2004) QTL Analysis of morphological, developmental, and winter hardiness-associated traits in perennial ryegrass. Crop Sci 44:925–935
Zhu CS, Wang CM, Zhang YM (2007) Modeling segregation distortion for viability selection I. Reconstruction of linkage maps with distorted markers. Theor Appl Genet 114:295–305
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Y. Xue.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Studer, B., Jensen, L.B., Hentrup, S. et al. Genetic characterisation of seed yield and fertility traits in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Theor Appl Genet 117, 781–791 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-008-0819-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-008-0819-y