ABSTRACT
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite primers were developed for Bothriochloa ischaemum to investigate the structure of invasive populations within Texas and determine the origin of introduction from within the native range. METHODS AND RESULTS: We adapted the biotinylated nucleotide method of developing an enriched genomic library to isolate and characterize 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers. The number of alleles per locus (A) ranged from five to 18 (mean A = 10.45), expected heterozygosity (H(E)) ranged from 0.620 to 0.895 (mean H(E) = 0.785), and expected heterozygosity corrected for sample size (H(EC)) ranged from 0.635 to 0.909 (mean H(EC) = 0.799). The primers were also tested for amplification in Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium, Andropogon gerardii, Bothriochloa saccharoides, and Dichanthium annulatum. CONCLUSIONS: The use of microsatellite markers may assist in understanding the pattern of spread, determining the source of invasive populations, and developing biological control agents for invasive populations of Bothriochloa ischaemum.
