Biotechnology in Forage and Turf Grass Improvement: 23 (Monographs on Theoretical and Applied Genetics) - Tapa blanda

Worldwide, acreage under grassland is estimated to be twice that of cropland. Two closely related genera, Festuca L. (fescues) and Lolium L. (ryegrasses) are of significant value in temperate grasslands. These genera (tribe Poeae, subfamily Pooideae) contain well-adapted, very productive grasses widely distributed in temperate and cool climates in Europe, North and South America, North, East and South Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, where they are used for agricultural and recreational purposes (Jauhar 1993). They are important for grazing, stabilizing soil for agriculture, and enhancing the environment through multiple uses, such as forage, conservation and turf (Barnes 1990). Therefore, in the family Poaceae, the Festuca-Lolium group of grasses is among the most extensively studied by agronomists, plant breeders, animal scientists, taxonomists and cytogeneticists. The potential of biotechno­ logical approaches has been recognized for the development of improved fescue and rye grass cultivars (Barnes 1990; Kau11990; Jauhar 1993). 1. 1 Agronomic Importance of the Festuca-Lolium Complex The Festuca-Lolium complex involves some well-adapted, highly productive persistent species which are widely used for soil stabilization, for agricultural purposes and as amenity grasses. For temperate grasslands, tall fescue, meadow fescue, Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass are particularly impor­ tant species which show complementary desirable traits, such as palatability and fast initial growth of the ryegrasses, and winter hardiness, persistency combined with continued high production after the second harvest year of the fescues.

This book shows the significant progress made in establishing the methodological basis for the genetic manipulation of forage and turf grasses, with particular emphasis on our most important temperate grasses, the fescues and ryegrasses. It provides detailed and beautifully illustrated descriptions of all relevant methodological aspects of molecular breeding of forage and turf grasses. The topics covered range from the establishment of plant regeneration systems from in vitro cultures, the recovery of haploids and somaclonal variants, the combination of whole or partial genomes by somatic hybridization, and the production of transgenic plants, to the development of molecular markers.