Genetic analysis of tall fescue based on EST–SSR markers and seed characteristics

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schred) is an important cool-season turfgrass and forage grass that is widely used in forage production, turf greening, and ecological restoration. In this study, 36 tall fescue germplasms from different sources were collected and analyzed for genetic diversity using EST–SSR primers and combined with seed phenotypic characteristics to comprehensively evaluate and analyze their germplasm diversity. The results showed that 14 pairs of EST–SSR primers amplified a total of 140 bands, and the total number of polymorphic bands was 133, with 95% polymorphic band percentage; the clustering results showed a certain geographical trend, but it was not obvious. In addition, when the genetic distance was 0.54, the clustering results were similar to the K-means clustering results of seed characteristics: the European population had the highest coefficient of variation for seed thickness and thousand seed weight, with values of 25.02% and 23.35%, respectively, and the thousand-grain weight of the European population was significantly lower than that of the Asian and North American populations (P < 0.05). Multifaceted genetic analysis showed that the 36 materials were highly heterogeneous. Multifaceted genetic analysis is important for the scientific evaluation of tall fescue genetic resources, core germplasm innovation, and new variety selection.