The genus Lolium is one of the most important groupings of temperate forage grasses, including about eight recognized species that are native to some temperate and subtropical regions of the northern hemisphere. We examined genetic relationships among 18 accessions representing all Lolium species using RAPD markers. Among 50 random primers that we screened, 13 gave reproducible amplification ba...

A gene encoding a small guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein (smGTP) related to the Rab2 gene family of GTPases was identified during the analysis of a salt stress suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) expression library from the model grass species Lolium temulentum L. (Darnel ryegrass). The smGTP gene was found to have a low-level constitutive expression and was strongly induced...

Forage and turf grasses are continually cut and grazed by livestock, however very little is known concerning the perception or molecular responses to wounding. Mechanical wounding rapidly activated a 46 kDa and a 44 kDa mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in six different grass species. In the model grass species Lolium temulentum, the 46 kDa MAPK was rapidly activated within 5 min of wound...

In three field trials fungicides used for stem rust (Puccinia graminis) control were evaluated to assess the effect on levels of blind seed disease, seed germination and endophyte (Neotyphodium lolii) transmission. Blind seed disease infection was reduced from 24% to 5% in one of the three trials undertaken and germination was increased by between 17 and 23% in two trials. There was a negative ...