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Unravelling the ambiguous reproductive biology of Paspalum malacophyllum: a decades old story clarified

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Abstract

In a recent manuscript published by our group we analyzed the reproductive biology of the grass Paspalum malacophyllum by using traditional embryological techniques combined with current cytological and molecular methods. Our findings confirmed apparent contradictions regarding the reproductive behavior of P. malacophyllum from six independently published reports over the past six decades. Herein we summarize the main findings, conclusions, and validations of all previous studies, highlighting the need for multiple approaches to characterize reproductive systems when using apomictic plants in a breeding program.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Carlos Acuña, University of Northeast, Corrientes, Argentina, and two anonymous reviewers for their critical comments and suggestions on a preliminary version of the manuscript. This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG Project HO 5462/1-1 to D.H.H.) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET Project 20150202-167 to E.J.M.), in the framework of DFG-CONICET international cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    D. H. Hojsgaard

  2. USDA-ARS, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77845-2474, USA

    B. L. Burson

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (IBONE), Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (FCA-UNNE), CC 209, 3400, Corrientes, Argentina

    C. L. Quarin & E. J. Martínez

Authors
  1. D. H. Hojsgaard
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  2. B. L. Burson
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  3. C. L. Quarin
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  4. E. J. Martínez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. H. Hojsgaard.

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Hojsgaard, D.H., Burson, B.L., Quarin, C.L. et al. Unravelling the ambiguous reproductive biology of Paspalum malacophyllum: a decades old story clarified. Genet Resour Crop Evol 63, 1063–1071 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0303-x

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