www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com t Available online a Scholars Research Library Annals of Biological Research, 2012, 3 (6): 2969-2974 (http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/archive.html) ISSN 0976-1233 CODEN (USA): ABRNBW 2969 Scholars Research Library Evolution studies and chromosomal analysis in some Agropyron genotypes (Agropyron elongatum L.) Adele Rafezi 1 , Asghar Feizi 1 , Mohsen Farshadfar 2&3 , Ezatollah Farshadfar 1 1 plant Breeding Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kermanshuh, Iran 2 Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Kermanshah, IRAN 3 Payame Noor University (PNU), IRAN ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Agropyron is one of the most important forage crops growing in different location in Iran. It is resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. Karyotype studies were performed in 17 genotypes of A. elongatum L., growing in Iran. The genotype G4 possessed 2n=2x=14, 2n=6x=28, and 2n=10x=70 (mixoploid) chromosome number, while other were decaploid (2n=10x=70). The Chromosomes were mainly metacentric and sub-metacentric. The genotypes studied differed significantly in total size of the chromosomes, size of short arms and the long arms, indicating the role of quantitative genomic changes in the A.elongatum L. genotypes diversification. They are also different in their karyotipic formula indicating the occurrence of structural changes in their chromosomes. The A. elongatum L. genotypes placed in 2A, 2B and 2C classes of Stebbins karyotype symmetry which are considered relatively primitive in this system. Cluster analysis of studied genotypes for cytogenetic traits showed these genotypes are classified in three groups. PCA ordination of these genotypes indicated karyotypic distinctness of the genotypes studied. B-chromosomes were observed in one of the genotypes studied. Key words: cytogenetic, karyotype, chromosome, Agropyron. ______________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Agropyron species are mostly distributed throughout the Great plain and north of Plateau to Canad, This plant was reported in Saskatchewan and Ontario [5, 8, 10]. Agropyron is perennial herb with basic chromosome number x=7. The names of this plant are: wheat grass, Quitch grass and Couch grass [5, 11, 23]. Several cytogenetic and genetic studies have been performed on A.elongatum L. from different parts of the world [4, 7, 16, 20, 24, 25], while such cytogenetic studies are not available for the A.elongatum L. growing in Iran. A.elongatum L. is decaploid has 2n=10x=70 [16]. Cytogenetic studies make the identification genetic variation, in order to supply a reliable basis for selecting A. elongatum L. genotypes with high yield, and are one of the reasons why genetic and cytogenetic studies are important. The present study reports the karyotypic features and evolution position of 17 genotypes of A. elongatum L. growing in different location of Iran for first time. Karyotype studies were performed in seventeen genotypes of A. elongatum L., growing in different location in Iran (table1), The genotypes are named G1-G17. These studies performed in Agricultural and Natural Research Institute in Kermanshah.