UCR Turf News

News from the UCR Turfgrass Program

Quarterly updates of ongoing research and timely information based on research from the UCR Turfgrass Research Program published in February, May, August and November.

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Nov 2008

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A low maintenance turfgrass study was established on May 28-29, 2003, at the University of California , Riverside , Turfgrass Research Facility.  It was the objective of the study to evaluate the relative turfgrass performance of grasses under low water and low nutritional inputs.  The 24 grasses included traditional low maintenance warm- and cool-season turfgrasses; experimental traditional turfgrasses; and warm- and cool-season plains states native grasses.  The 24 grasses are listed below.

The grasses were allowed to “grow-in” during 2003.  Deficit irrigation (irrigation below water needed for optimum performance) for warm-season turfgrasses was initiated in 2004 and continued through the end of 2006.  The irrigation level was approximately 50% of the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) reference evapotranspiration (ET_o).  Fertilization was restricted to fall applications that normally totaled 1.0 pound of N per 1000 sq. ft per year.  The plots were mowed weekly at a three inch height until September, 2005, when the plots were split to a high cut ( 3.0”) and low cut (1.25”). 

On December 31, 2006, the formal study concluded, but the low maintenance regimes of the study were continued to the present time.  Because of drought and high temperature conditions in 2007/2008, additional separation of relative grass performance was noted.  Grass cover and turfgrass quality ratings were made October, 2007, and again in June, 2008.  A 1-10 rating scale was used, with 10 representing best cover or quality. 

The grasses that should be noted for higher performance results under low input maintenance practices:  Buffalograsss (all cultivars and experimental grasses), Zoysia tenuifolia, Saltgrasses (A 138, DT 18), Sporobolis (DT 12), Blue Grama (Hatchita), and Bermudagrass (Princess).  Other grasses gave various lower levels of performance and some of the grasses could not survive the severe maintenance regime for the duration of the study.

Breeding and Genetics for Improved Turf Quality and Stress Resistance

James H. Baird¹, Adam J. Luksazewski¹, Robert L. Green¹, and Frank P. Wong²

¹Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California , Riverside

²Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California , Riverside

Development of Intergeneric Hybrids of Ryegrasses with Fescues as new Stress and Pest Resistant Turfgrasses

Cool-season turfgrasses are important throughout the United States because of their adaptation to cooler climates, shade, and ability to maintain lush color year-round in warmer climates with supplemental irrigation.  However, increased drought frequency and diminishing water resources are jeopardizing the future of turf and its benefits to urban culture, the environment, and the economy.  This project aims to combine the desirable characteristics and mitigate the deficiencies of existing turfgrasses by developing turf-type intergeneric hybrids of Lolium (ryegrass) and Festuca (fescue), or Festulolium.  We have already developed a population with an extraordinary capacity to survive without supplemental irrigation in southern California .  We will continue to select in the populations of perennial ryegrass x meadow fescue hybrids (Lolium perenne x Festuca pratensis hybrids) for the best combinations of turf characteristics, specifically focusing on drought, heat, and disease resistance.  To understand the genetics of turf characteristics, we have developed a set of single chromosome introgressions from Festuca pratensis into Lolium multiflorum (annual ryegrass) and use them to assign desirable characteristics to individual chromosomes and their segments, and to tag such segments with molecular markers for marker assisted selection.  Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) will be used to aid in the discovery and scoring of genetic polymorphic markers with greater efficiency and much lower cost.  At the conclusion of this project, the combined efforts of breeding, genetics, agronomy, and plant pathology will hopefully lead to the commercial release of improved turf-type Festulolium hybrids.  Moreover, we will provide end-users with best management practices for successful establishment and culture.

Selection and Molecular Identification of Traits Responsible for Winter Color Retention, Shade Tolerance, and Stress Resistance in Warm-Season Turfgrasses

Despite the aforementioned strides to improve stress and pest resistance among cool-season turfgrass species, the future of turfgrass culture in southern California and other climates where water resources are diminishing lies with warm-season turfgrasses which are better adapted to drought and heat.  However, widespread acceptance among end-users requires that warm-season turfgrasses maintain green color throughout the colder winter months and survive under low light conditions from neighboring trees and frequent cloud cover.  We intend to focus our efforts primarily on bermudagrass by evaluating both commercially available and experimental germplasm under field conditions in Riverside .  We will also examine kikuyugrass from populations originally collected by Dr. Cheryl Wilen because this species possesses some of the best winter color retention among the warm-season turfgrasses and because we believe that there is potential for further improvement of kikuyugrass as a desirable turfgrass species.  Once again, our trans-disciplinary approach hopefully will lead to the commercial release of warm-season turfgrasses that are better adapted to meet the challenges that await our industry.

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