Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item The presence and role of phytic acid in the alfalfa root and crown(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1990) Campbell, Mark RobertItem Alfalfa dehydration : operations and costs(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1969) Zurenko, John GeorgeItem Alfalfa response to simulated short duration grazing(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1990) Townsend, Michael ShaunItem Short duration grazing on alfalfa(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1988) Agustinho, Rodolfo AbelItem Effects of harvest and insecticide treatment on predominant species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in alfalfa and sainfoin(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1987) Lester, Donald G.Item Weed control in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown for seed(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1987) Stannard, Mark EdwinItem Effect of different methods of storage upon the vitality of scarified and nonscarified seed of alfalfa, sweet clover, and red clover(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1932) Hay, William DanielItem Determining verticillium wilt resistance (Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berth.) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1987) Bruce, Michael RaymondItem An investigation of factors affecting the comparative general level of management for farm operators on the Jocko Valley Division of the Flathead Irrigation Project as measured by indexed alfalfa yields(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1967) Zurenko, John GeorgeItem Transgenic alfalfa : development and characterization(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1991) Blake, Nancy KayAlfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the world's premier forage crop because of its nutritional quality, performance and broad adaptation. Several problems exist in the production of alfalfa, including disease and insect damage, herbicide sensitivity and limited nutritional quality. Plant transformation (the introduction of foreign genes into a species) has been proposed as a potential solution to each of these problems. One consideration in alfalfa transformation research which has not been adequately addressed is the inheritance and expression stability of foreign genes in transgenic alfalfa. This study is the initial phase of a project to examine this question. Transgenic alfalfa plants were generated and characterized prior to the initiation of crossing studies. In particular, the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction sequence amplification (PCR) in characterizing transgenic alfalfa was examined. Three Montana-adapted alfalfa cultivars were transformed using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transformation vector used contained two linked genes: the NPT II gene conferring kanamycin resistance and the GUS gene, a commonly used expression reporter gene. Contrary to expectations, 22% of the transgenic alfalfa plants failed to integrate the GUS gene into their genomes although they did integrate the NPT II gene. Further, 29% of the transgenic alfalfa plants which contained GUS gene failed to express it. This data was based on Southern blot analysis but similar results were obtained using the more rapid PCR method. The GUS reporter gene system functions in transgenic alfalfa and provides a rapid way to score progeny. PCR also promises to be useful in the continuing inheritance studies of these transgenic alfalfa.