Development of species-specific SCAR markers in bentgrass

Bentgrass species (Agrostis spp.) are cool season turfgrasses that are tolerant of continuous, close mowing heights because of their prostrate growth habit. Some bentgrass species are difficult to distinguish because of similar morphological characteristics and genetic compatibility. Specific DNA technology, such as the use of SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) markers, can be used to differentiate between some species of bentgrass. SCAR markers were created by sequencing a single RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) band and designing primers to amplify the band of specific size. Two SCAR primer pairs were designed to identify colonial (Agrostis capillaris L.) and creeping (Agrostis palustris Huds.) bentgrass species. The colonial SCAR primers amplify a band of 400 base pairs (bp) and are designated Col400F and Col400R. The creeping SCAR primers amplify a band of 700 bp and are designated Creep700F and Creep700R. Testing with 17 cultivars (140 plants) representing four bentgrass species, single unique bands were correctly amplified for creeping and colonial bentgrass species by their respective SCAR primer pair. Differentiating these species by SCAR markers is useful for screening large numbers of clones collected from superior patches of naturalized populations on old golf courses and lawns. These SCAR markers also have useful potential for identifying progenies derived from artificial interspecific hybridizations among bentgrass species, especially between colonial and creeping bentgrass.