Development of Seashore Paspalum Turfgrass with Herbicide Resistance

Abstract

Seashore Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz)is a warm season grass and indigenous to tropical and subtropicalregions of coastal areas worldwide. The species is used asfeed for cattle and horses and has been very successful forgolf courses worldwide. One of the most outstanding characteristicsof seashore paspalum is its tolerance to saline soils comparedto other warm season turfgrasses. The development of newseashore paspalum cultivars with improved traits could befacilitated through the application of biotechnological strategies. The purpose of this study was to product for herbicide resistantseashore paspalum using Arobacterium-mediated transformationand this study is the first report on transformation and herbicideresistanttransgenic plants in seashore paspalum. Embryogeniccalli were induced from the seeded variety of pseashorepaspalum. Embryogenic calli were transformed with Agrobacteriumtumefaciens strain EHA105 carrying the binaryvector pCAMBIA3301 with two genes encoding gusA andbar. Transformed calli and plants were selected on mediumcontaining 3 mg/l PPT. PCR detected the presence of thegusA and bar gene, indicating both genes are integrated intothe genome of seashore paspalum. A chlorophenol red assaywas used to confirm that the bar gene was expressed. Byapplication of herbicide BASTA, the herbicide resistance inthe transgenic seashore paspalum plants was confirmed.