Development of a Tool for Marker-Assisted Selection in Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass breeding can benefit from molecular markers to accelerate genetic gains. This study designed 363 primer pairs targeting conserved regions flanking introns in elite genotypes, enabling genome-wide SNP discovery. An average of one SNP per 42 bases was found across seven genotypes. The primers showed 73–97% transferability in fescues and 77% in cocksfoot. Since only 38% of SNPs were heterozygous in multiple genotypes, genotype-specific SNP markers were developed to track allele segregation in progenies. This tool supports large-scale genotyping and precise marker-assisted selection in forage grass improvement programs.