Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

A Simplified Technique for the Propagation of Shoots from Nodes of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Genotypes

  • Published:
BioEnergy Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nodal propagation of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an important technique for multiplying a variant plant, with a potentially valuable agronomic trait, for replicated field trials. To develop an improved propagation system, shoot induction from three node positions (low, mid, and high) was tested in ten genotypes of switchgrass cv. Alamo. Nodal segments were incubated in a custom hydroponics system with 1/4 strength Murashige and Skoog liquid medium for 6 weeks. In all genotypes, shoot formation was highest at the low node position, the largest nodes, ranging from 60 to 98 %. From the ten genotypes tested, three genotypes (4, 5, and 6) had a significantly higher shoot formation at mid and high nodes with a shoot formation greater than 80 and 50 %, respectively. Shoot formation for all other genotypes at the same two positions was less than 40 and 10 %, respectively. In a single replication, 30 shoots from the lowest node position of each genotype were rooted for 4 weeks in each of two rooting conditions (RC1, Rootone dip and soilless media and RC2, IBA in a half-strength liquid MS media). Four genotypes showed greater root formation in RC1, while one genotype showed greater root formation in RC2. In this paper, we describe a procedure for generating a population of genetically identical plants from switchgrass, in as little as 6 weeks, that is relatively inexpensive, efficient, and does not require specialized equipment needed for tissue culture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  1. Vogel KP (2004) Switchgrass. In: Moser LE, Sollenberger L, Burson B (eds) Warm-season (C4) grasses. ASA-CSSA-SSA Monograph, Madison, WI, pp 561–588

    Google Scholar 

  2. Jakob K, Zhou F, Paterson AH (2009) Genetic improvement of C4 grasses as cellulosic biofuel feedstocks. In vitro Cell Dev Biol- Plant 45:291–305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schwartz C, Amasino R (2013) Nitrogen recycling and flowering time in perennial bioenergy crops. Front in Plant Sci 76:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  4. McLaughlin SB, Kszos LA (2005) Development of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as a bioenergy feedstock in the United States. Biomass Bioenergy 28:515–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hopkins AS, Taliaferro CM, Murphy CD, D’Ann C (1996) Chromosome number and nuclear DNA content variation among switchgrass populations. Crop Sci 36:1192–1195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Martinez-Reyna JM, Vogel KP (2002) Incompatibility systems in switchgrass. Crop Sci 42:1800–1805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lundqvist A (1956) Self-incompatibility in rye. I Genetic control in the diploid. Hereditas 42:293–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Martinez-Reyna JM, Vogel KP (2008) Heterosis in switchgrass: spaced plants. Crop Sci 48:1312–1320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Alexandrova KS, Denchev PD, Conger BV (1996) Micropropagation of switchgrass by node culture. Crop Sci 36:1709–1711

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 2013. Monthly and daily normals (1981-2010) plus daily extremes (1895-2013) for Tucson, AZ. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/climate/tus.php (accessed 1 Jul 2013).

  11. Moore KJ, Moser LE, Vogel KP, Walker SS, Johnson BE, Pedersen JF (1991) Describing and quantifying growth stages of perennial forage grasses. Agron J 83:1073–1077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Murashige T, Skoog F (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiol Plant 15:473–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pautler M, Tanaka W, Hirano H, Jackson D (2013) Grass meristem I: shoot apical meristem maintenance, axillary meristem determinacy and the floral transition. Plant Cell Physiol 54(3):302–312

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Whipple CJ, Kebrom TH, Weber AL, Yang F, Hall D, Meeley R, Schmidt R, Doebley J, Brutnell TP, Jackson DP (2011) Grassy tillers1 promotes apical dominance in maize and responds to shade signals in the grasses. Proc Natl Acad Sci 108:E506–E512

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Wei K, Liyuan W, Cheng H, Zhang C, Ma C, Zhang L, Gong W, Wu L (2013) Identification of genes involved in indole-3- butyric acid-induced adventitious formation in nodal cuttings. Gene 514:91–98

  16. Denchev PD, Conger BV (1995) In vitro culture of switchgrass: influence of 2,4-D and picloram in combination with benzyladenine on callus initiation and regeneration. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 40:43–48

  17. Denchev PD, Conger BV (1994) Plant regeneration from callus cultures of switchgrass. Cell Biol Mol Gen 34:1623–1627

    Google Scholar 

  18. Alexandrova KS, Denchev PD, Conger BV (1996) In vitro development of inflorescences from switchgrass nodal segments. Crop Sci 36:175–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Dutta GS, Conger BV (1998) In vitro differentiation of multiple shoot clumps from intact seedlings of switchgrass. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol - Plant 34:196–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Zachary Weaver, Ms. Kathryn Millward, and Mitchell Feldmann for technical assistance. We thank Dr. David Bransby for the Alamo seeds. Finally, we are indebted to the advice provided by Drs. Mike Ottman and Edzard van Santen.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, 303 Forbes Building, P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0036, USA

    Joshua M. Weaver, Laura Sofia Montes Sujo & Kenneth A. Feldmann

Authors
  1. Joshua M. Weaver
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laura Sofia Montes Sujo
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kenneth A. Feldmann
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joshua M. Weaver.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Weaver, J.M., Sujo, L.S.M. & Feldmann, K.A. A Simplified Technique for the Propagation of Shoots from Nodes of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Genotypes. Bioenerg. Res. 7, 1351–1357 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9470-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-014-9470-4

Keywords