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Distribution of Specific Alkaloids in Reed Canarygrass Cultivars¹

Alkaloids in reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) are negatively associated with palatability and sometimes have undersirable effects on ruminant animals. Our objectives were to characterize several reed canarygrass cultivars with respect to alkaloid concentration and distribution patterns of specific alkaloids. Because current cultivars are difficult to describe morphologically, chemical characterization may aid in identifying or describing them.

We determined frequency distribution of three primary indole alkaloids: 3-dimethylaminomethylindole (gramine); N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT); and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), among spaced plants of selected reed canarygrass cultivars and experimental strains grown in the field in 1973. Alkaloid composition and concentration were also determined from solid-stand plots in 1973 and 1974.

‘Vantage’ was the only cultivar containing exclusively gramine. The presence of gramine was verified using forage from the six parent clones, plants from syn 1 generation and syn 2 generation seed, and from first growth and regrowth of solid-stand plots. ‘Frontier,’ ‘Grove,’ ‘Rise,’ and three experimental strains contained both gramine and tryptamines. The experimental strain MN-72 was differentiated from Grove, Rise, and two experimental strains by frequency distribution of gramine, DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT.

The 47 to 49 plants used for alkaloid typing of each entry were possibly too few to characterize other cultivars and strains. Grove, MN-72, and Frontier had significantly lower total alkaloid concentration (% dry wt) than did RC-2, Vantage, and Rise when determined on 4-week-old second regrowth in 1973 but not on 4-week-old first or second regrowth in 1974. Differences among entries were also smaller and seldom significant when based on 6-week-old first regrowth in 1973. The 2-year mean alkaloid values over all sampling dates were significantly lower for Grove and MN-72 compared to Vantage, Rise, and RC-2. Concentration of total indole alkaloids appears to distinguish some reed canarygrass cultivars, but only at specific conditions of growth.

Key Words: Indole alkaloids • Forage quality • Phalaris arundinacea L.

² Professor; and research agronomist, ARS, USDA, and professor, respectively, Dep. of Agron. and Plant Genet., Univ. Of Minn., St. Paul, MN 55108.

Received for publication February 7, 1975.

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