Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1985

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Biology and Microbiology

First Advisor

C.H. Chen

Abstract

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native, tall, warm season, perennial, sod-forming grass with vigorous roots and rhizomes. It is found growing throughout most of the United States. However, it is most abundant in the Great Plains Where it is a co-dominant of the Tall Grass Prairie. Grasses have played a predominant role in natural pastures and reseeded grasslands. The world's human population depends heavily on grasses for food and they are a major source of protein and energy for animal growth and performance. Improved breeding methods for grasses are therefore needed to produce higher yielding and better quality forages to help increase livestock productivity. Conventional methods for vegetative propagation of most forage grasses may not meet the demand in the event that large numbers of clones are needed within a short period of time from desirable genotypes. Previously in this laboratory, a general method for tissue culture of forage grass species was established using segments of young inflorescences to initiate callus on RM medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D). Plants -were then regenerated in vitro by removal of 2, 4-D from the medium. Plants produced by this method can shorten a breeding program considerably. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate switchgrass plant regeneration from callus cultures of inflorescence origin and to determine the mode of plant formation through a histological study.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Grasses -- Reproduction
Grasses -- Growth
Callis (Botany)
Regeneration (Botany)
Switchgrass

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

60

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

No Copyright - United State
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

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