Taxonomic evaluation of Italian populations of Lolium spp resistant and susceptible to diclofop-methyl

A comprehensive research project was set up to characterize by different
approaches some Italian populations of Lolium spp susceptible and
resistant to diclofop-methyl. The present study was aimed at the taxonomic
identification of these Lolium populations on the basis of the
electrophoretic analysis of seed reserve proteins. Electrophoresis
confirmed the great range of variation detected by preliminary
morphological analysis. Approximately half the individuals in each
population could be classified as belonging to Lolium multiflorum or
Lolium rigidum, the most common Lolium species present in the area.
However, electrophoretic patterns revealed a significant number (40-60%)
of hybrid individuals in all populations. The origin of these off-types
was postulated as resulting from both intrageneric hybridization among
different Lolium species and intergeneric hybridization between Lolium and
Festuca genera. No significant differences were detected in the taxonomy
of herbicide-susceptible and-resistant populations.