Agreement Begins Cooperative Turfgrass Research

The green industry is likely to be impacted by a cooperative research investigation now under way.

The turfgrass-improvement endeavor, initiated by an agreement between the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Barenbrug USA, is focused on Poa spp. interspecific hybridisations.

“We believe that the landscape and sports market will benefit the most of this new bluegrass,” observed Gerald Van’t Klooster, research director of Barenbrug USA. “We are looking to different crossings to select for better drought- and heat-tolerant bluegrass.”

Poa pratensis (Kentucky Bluegrass) is among the world’s most important, dominant perennial bluegrass. The goal of the cooperation between Barenbrug and USDA-ARS is to develop Poa hybrids with improved characteristics and develop more adaptable varieties for its customers.

Poa is predominantly an asexual reproducing plant with an apomictic form of reproduction. Due to this form of reproduction, it has a limited capacity for genetic change. Among the Poa, there occurs one notable exception, Texas Bluegrass (Poa arachnifera), which has a purely sexual mode of reproduction and is found primarily in central Oklahoma and northern Texas. By producing hybrids between Texas Bluegrass and the various Poa species, it is possible to tap and manipulate the considerable genetic variation available in the various Poa species.

“Barenbrug focuses on bluegrasses with fast germination and good performance under low maintenance, and the cooperation with Dr. Kindiger will allow us to better understand all the genetics of Poa species and develop better adapted varieties for our customers,” Van’t Klooster stated. “Drought tolerance is becoming an increasingly important factor. Many of the poa species we will work with under this program, have much better heat and drought tolerance compared to the traditional Kentucky bluegrass. We hope to transfer some of the traits of Texas Bluegrass to traditional Kentucky bluegrass.”

The cooperative research agreement between Barenbrug and the USDA-ARS is scheduled to last from three to five years.  However, this year the two organizations will begin a series of in-depth test.

“This year we will start with the first tests for turf quality in turf plots and for seed yield in seed yield trials,” Van’t Klooster explained. “After two to three years of data, we can start up the seed production for commercial seed. The first seed could be available in 2006 or 2007.”

Researchers anticipate agronomic and genetic studies conducted at trial sites in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Oregon will result in the identification of several new germplasm resources from which new cultivars can be obtained. Throughout the evaluation process, the germplasm will be submitted to field and genetic studies to identify favorable genotypes and useful marker-to-gene associations.

Project leader Bryan Kindiger is stationed at the Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, Okla., hopes to utilize his 10 years of experience in developing superior Poa germplasm for both turf and forage use.

“This cooperation creates innumerable possibilities for creating a myriad of new genetic variation in the bluegrass complex,” Kindiger noted. “Most significant in this cooperation, is the dual goal of using these wide hybrids to develop both forage and turf cultivars.”

The author is Assistant Editor-Internet of Lawn  & Landscape magazine and can be reached at aanderson@lawnandlandscape.com.