Genetic diversity within a population of Microlaena stipoides, as revealed by AFLP markers
M. L. Mitchell A D E , B. J. Stodart B and J. M. Virgona C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Agriculture Research, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, 124 Chiltern Valley Road, Rutherglen, Vic 3685, Australia.
B School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.
C Graminus Consulting P/L, 1 Heron Place, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.
D Future Farm Industries CRC, The University of Western Australia M081, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: meredith.mitchell@depi.vic.gov.au
Australian Journal of Botany 62(7) 580-586 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT14182
Submitted: 5 August 2014 Accepted: 28 October 2014 Published: 19 February 2015
Abstract
Microlaena stipoides (Labill.) R.Br. (microlaena), a C3 perennial grass, is common within grazed native pastures in the high-rainfall zone (>550 mm average annual rainfall) of south-eastern Australia. It has the ability to spread via seed production or vegetatively, using both rhizomes and stolons. This experiment aimed to determine how variable a microlaena population was within a single area, with the aim of determining whether microlaena relied on seed or vegetative spread to sustain populations. Leaf samples of microlaena were collected from 85 locations, sampling two transects, within a pasture at Chiltern, in north-eastern Victoria (36°12ʹS, 146°35ʹE). The genetic diversity among samples was analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. We obtained 1612 fragments, using 10 primers combinations. Polymorphism for the markers ranged from 47% to 65%. These results indicated that the populations of microlaena that exist within the pasture at Chiltern are likely to have undergone some degree of outcrossing (Fst = 0.0219). It is likely that recruitment is occurring from sexual reproduction as well as via clonal spread within the microlaena population examined. This ability to use vegetative spread as well as both sexual and asexual reproduction may make populations of microlaena more resilient in the longer term.
Additional keywords: DNA, leaf samples, native grass, pasture, Poaceae, variation, weeping grass.
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