GERMPLASM ENHANCEMENT, BREEDING, AND GENETICS OF TURF AND NATIVE GRASSES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0185402
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2000
• Project End Date: Jun 30, 2005
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
208 MUELLER LABORATORY
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802

Performing Department
CROP & SOIL SCIENCES

Non Technical Summary
The $1.5 billion turf industry in Pennsylvania has an increasing need for grass varieties that require low cultural and chemical inputs while retaining high functional and aesthetic turf quality. The goal of this research project is to genetically improve turf and native grasses so they require less chemical and fertilizer inputs by enhancing their inherent tolerances to environmental stress.

Animal Health Component

40%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

40%

Applied

40%

Developmental

20%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
203	2130	1020	25%
203	1621	1020	25%
203	1620	1020	25%
203	0799	1020	25%

Knowledge Area
203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
2130 - Turf; 1620 - Warm season perennial grasses; 0799 - Rangelands and grasslands, general; 1621 - Cool season perennial grasses;

Field Of Science
1020 - Physiology;

Keywords

plant breeding

population genetics

stress tolerance

plant genetics

turf grasses

genetic markers

molecular genetics

germplasm

plant improvement

native grasses

rangelands

warm season grasses

cool season grasses

perennial grasses

breeding lines

open pollination

cultivars

property rights

genetic mapping

gene loci

chromosome mapping

plant accessions

Goals / Objectives
1. Collect and evaluate native and exotic germplasm to broaden the genetic base and improve economically important traits. 2. Develop molecular and statistical methodology of characterizing open-pollinated populations of germplasm, elite breeding lines, and commercial cultivars to protect intellectual property rights of public and private plant breeders, to assist in developing broad-based breeding populations, to aid in the identification of endangered grass populations and/or species, and to protect and enhance biodiversity. 3. Develop agronomically improved cultivars of turfgrass species through traditional and molecular breeding methodologies to provide enhanced landscape environments, provide affordable athletic surfaces, and control soil erosion. 4. Using information from Objectives 1, 2, and 3, identify and localize genes and chromosomal regions that specifically control traits of agronomic importance to enhance our manipulation of these traits in the breeding program.

Project Methods
1. Grasses which possess inherent traits of longevity and persistence, will be collected or obtained through-out the world, particularly the northeastern U.S., through the Plant Introduction Service, colleagues, and personal collecting trips. Criteria for evaluating newly-collected germplasm will be overall turf quality, persistence, disease resistance, and seed yielding ability within comparative trials containing old and current cultivars in mowed plots and space-plant nurseries. Results from this objective are anticipated to be published in applied science journals. 2. Methodology and protocols for statistical comparisons within and between open-pollinated populations will be developed. These newer statistical methodologies will be applied and evaluated against known and blind samples of mixed populations. Molecular fingerprint data bases of current cultivars will begin to be assembled. Genetic diversity parameters will be calculated for endangered native grasses and for correlations with breeding value within the breeding program. Results from this objective are anticipated to be published in theoretical and applied science journals. 3. Hybridization experiments and field evaluations for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance will be planned and assessed for developing improved turfgrass cultivars requiring fewer chemical inputs. Nuclear DNA content and chromosome number will be determined in order to identify primary and secondary gene pools for breeding purposes. Breeding approaches will be dictated by the reproductive biology of the particular species. For open-pollinated species, phenotypic recurrent selection will be employed. For asexual and apomictic species, pure lines will be selected. For selfed species, a modified pedigree method of selection will be used. For obligate cross pollinated species, the primary approach will be to maximize heterosis. For all species a cyclical series of recombination, segregation, evaluation, and selection will be performed on an annual basis. Progeny will be evaluated in space-plant nurseries and under mowed conditions for overall turf quality, persistence, disease resistance, and seed yield. 4. The methods here will survey and exploit genetic linkages between genes controlling stress resistance and the above molecular marker data bases to enhance crop improvement through traditional breeding practices. Focus will be on genes conferring disease resistance and genes involved with sexual versus apomictic reproduction. As a starting point, this aspect of the project will focus on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using RAPD markers. Bulked segregant analysis will be used in conjunction with RAPD markers to identify tight marker linkage relationships. As progress is made, RAPD markers will give way to other forms of PCR-based marker systems such as sequence tagged sites and simple sequence repeats. In order to lessen the amount of effort required for RFLPs, this project will investigate using heterologous probes constructed from similar genes of other grass crops (corn, wheat, sorghum, etc.) to screen genomic libraries of particular warm- and cool-season turfgrass species.

Progress 07/01/00 to 06/30/05

Outputs
Approximately 1,800 accessions were collected as germplasm sources for several turfgrass species including: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), annual bluegrass (P. annua), creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), red fescue (Festuca rubra), hard/sheep fescue (F. ovina complex), hair fesuce (F. tenuifolia), buffalograss (Buchloe dactyliodes), Alaskan hairgrass (Deschampsia spp.), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash) and Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus). These accessions were, and continue to be, utilized as germplasm for breeding improved cultivars and developing enhanced germplasm sources of various turfgrass and native grass species. Statistically characterized molecular marker (RAPDs, AFLPs, and SSRs) variation within and among introduced populations/cultivars of perennial ryegrass, bermudagrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and rough bluegrass, and within and among native populations/cultivars of buffalograss, little bluestem, Virginia wildrye, the fungus (Tilletia buchloeana) causing pistil smut disease, and the fungus (Pyricularia grisea) causing grey leaf spot disease. Collaborated with private breeding companies using our Kentucky bluegrass and rough bluegrass molecular marker data base. Concluded that the genetic diversity of northeastern native populations of little bluestem may be at risk from the planting of commercial cultivars of little bluestem that are derived from Midwestern prairie ecotypes. Initiated development of a mapping population of diploid buffalograss as a model system for genetic mapping in native grasses. Initiated development of a mapping population in annual bluegrass as a model system of invasive weed species. Established spaced-plant nurseries containing a total of approximately 150,000 plants. These nurseries represent a large portion of the breeding program's effort including parental and progeny selections, progeny produced from controlled-crosses, ecotype selections, open-pollinated populations, and selected germplasm accessions. Established approximately 300 replicated plots of experimental Kentucky bluegrass and annual bluegrass for turf evaluation. Initiated a breeding program for creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) for use in the golf industry. Established duplicate plots and spaced-plant nuseries for native and introduced grassses at Ft. Drum and Penn State. Completed parent progeny analysis of anueploid St. Agustinegrass for DNA content using flow cytometry. Molecular genetic techniques were applied to investigate the pistil smut-buffalograss system of parasitic castration. Completed the statistical characterization of molecular marker variation in Kentucky bluegrass as a model apomictic system. Completed the statistical characterization of molecular marker variation in mixed populations of perennial ryegrass as a sexual model system. Completed the statistical characterization of molecular marker variation in native populations and commercial cultivars of the native grasses little bluestem and Virginia wildrye.

Impacts
This research project has resulted in the publication of 4 scientific papers, 5 proceedings papers, 3 book chapters, 5 scientific abstracts, and 5 non-refereed journal articles and has generated over $600K in external grants from national and state funding agencies. The germplasm base assembled in this project possesses inherent tolerance to a wide range of pest and environmental stresses and has become the foundational basis for a major breeding program in perennial grasses. This project also discovered that the parasitic castration by the pistil smut fungus increases its host sexual reproductive allocation by altering meristem determinacy of flowering structures (inflorescences and florets) and by down-regulating a homologue of the female-sterility gene Ts2 inducing female organs in otherwise male flowers of the dioecious buffalograss host. Future research of this interesting system of induced hermaphrodism will clearly impact science and society. In the future, this project will develop cultivars that will reduce pesticide use and save money while retaining high functional and aesthetic turf quality. This project has also enhanced our natural environment by developing measurable parameters to evaluate and maintain genetic diversity of native plant populations.

Publications

• Viji, G., Kang, S., Wu, B., Uddin, S. W.,and Huff, D. R. 2001. Pyricularia grisea causing gray leaf spot of perennial ryegrass turf: Population structure and host specificity. Plant Disease 85:817-826.
• Neylan, J., Peart, A., and Huff, D. R. 2005. A comparison of the effects of potable water versus saline effluent used for irrigating bentgrass (Agrostis spp) and Poa annua cultivars. International Turfgrass Society Research 10:609-617.
• Huff, D. R. and Palazzo, A. J. 2001. Genetic manipulation for plant germplasm preservation. In: Proceeding of the 2001 DoD Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Annual Conference. November 27-29, 2001. Washington, DC.
• Huff, D. 2002. Basic biology of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) In: Proceedings of Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.): Biology, management and control. Held April 4, 2002. The University of Melbourne-Burnley campus, Melbourne, Victoria. Pp. 13-22.
• Huff, D. 2002. Evolution and breeding of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) In: Proceedings of Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.): Biology, management and control. Held April 4, 2002. The University of Melbourne-Burnley campus, Melbourne, Victoria. Pp. 28-36.
• Huff, D. 2002. Flowering habit of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) In: Proceedings of Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.): Biology, management and control. Held April 4, 2002. The University of Melbourne-Burnley campus, Melbourne, Victoria. Pp. 37-42.
• Huff, D. 2002. Poa annua: Australian for "Green". Grounds Maintenance 37:G17-G19.
• Huff, D. R. 2004. Developing annual bluegrass cultivars for putting greens. Australian Turfgrass Management, Volume 6.6, December-January. ISSN 1442-2697. pp. 32-36.
• Huff, D.R. 2004. Developing annual bluegrass cultivars for putting greens. USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (http://usgatero.msu.edu/v03/n09.pdf). Also published in the Green Section Record. United States Golf Association. Sept-Oct, 2004. 3(9): 1-8.

Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
1. Germplams collected included creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) approx. 850 accessions from PA golf courses; annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) from AZ, PA, and MD; and hairgrass (Deschampsia spp.) from New Zealand. 2. Initiated assessment of genetic diversity parameters mis-match distribution and Harpending's Index for native populations and cultivars to determine their connectivity by gene flow and hence, genetic structure. 3. Established a fall 2005 nursery containing approximately 20,000 spaced-plants. Turf quality evaluations continued to demonstrate the exceptionally high turf quality of greens-type annual bluegrass. Initiated selection for dollar spot disease resistance in annual bluegrass and for performance under fairway height of cut 1 cm in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) germplasm. Initiated a creeping bentgrass breeding program in collaboration with private industry. 4. Determined that fungal infection by Tillitia buchloeana K&S suppresses the program cell death pathway of maize Ts-2 homologue in male buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt) Engle.).

Impacts
This research project will breed genetically improved cultivars of turfgrasses that require reduced resource inputs by possessing inherent tolerances to pest and environmental stresses. This research will allow the Pennsylvania turfgrass industry, a $1.5 billion industry in 1989, to reduce pesticide use and save money while retaining highly functional and aesthetically-pleasing turf quality. This project will also maintain and enhance our natural environment by developing measurable parameters to evaluate and protect the genetic diversity of our native plants.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
Collected approximately 100 accessions as germplasm sources for breeding improved cultivars and developing enhanced germplasm of various turfgrass and native grass species. Regions collected include New Zealand and North America. Continuing the assessment of genetic diversity of native populations and commercial cultivars of native grass species to determine if commercial cultivars pose a genetic risk to northeastern native populations. Established a fall 2003 nursery containing approximately 45,000 spaced-plants. Replicated plots of experimental annual bluegrass and Kentucky bluegrass were evaluated for turf quality. Commercial seed production trials were initiated for elite lines of annual bluegrass. Selection efforts continued for the Pennfine II and Pennfine elite perennial ryegrass breeding program in collaboration with private industry. Continuing the expression profiling analysis of stress tolerance and sex expression for native and commercial turfgrass species using heterologous microarrays.

Impacts
This research project will breed genetically improved cultivars of turfgrasses that require reduced resource inputs by possessing inherent tolerances to pest and environmental stresses. This research will allow the Pennsylvania turfgrass industry, a $1.5 billion industry in 1989, to reduce pesticide use and save money while retaining highly functional and aesthetically-pleasing turf quality. This project will also maintain and enhance our natural environment by developing measurable parameters to evaluate and protect the genetic diversity of our native plants.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
Collected approximately 1500 accessions as germplasm sources for breeding improved cultivars and developing enhanced germplasm of various turfgrass and native grass species. Regions collected include Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and North America. Continuing the assessment of genetic diversity of native populations and commercial cultivars of native grass species to determine if commercial cultivars pose a genetic risk to northeastern native populations. Established a fall 2002 nursery containing approximately 55,000 spaced-plants. Approximately 200 replicated plots of experimental annual bluegrass and Kentucky bluegrass were established for turf evaluation. Selection efforts continued for the Pennfine II and Pennfine elite perennial ryegrass breeding program in collaboration with private industry. Initiated microarray study of stress tolerance and sex expression for native and commercial turfgrass species.

Impacts
This research project will breed genetically improved cultivars of turfgrasses that require reduced resource inputs by possessing inherent tolerances to pest and environmental stresses. This research will allow the Pennsylvania turfgrass industry, a $1.5 billion industry in 1989, to reduce pesticide use and save money while retaining high functional and aesthetic turf quality. This project will also maintain and enhance our natural environment by developing measurable parameters to evaluate and protect the genetic diversity of our native plants.

Publications

• Huff, D.R. 2002. Kentucky bluegrass. In: (eds.) M. Calser and R. Duncan. Turfgrass Biology, Genetics, and Breeding. John Wiley and Sons. 26 pp.
• Huff, D.R. 2002. Annual bluegrass. In: (eds.) M. Calser and R. Duncan. Turfgrass Biology, Genetics, and Breeding. John Wiley and Sons. 24 pp.

Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01

Outputs
Collected approximately 500 accessions as germplasm sources for breeding improved cultivars and developing enhanced germplasm of various turfgrass and native grass species. Continuing the assessment of genetic diversity of native populations and commercial cultivars of native grass species to determine if commercial cultivars pose a genetic risk to northeastern native populations. Established a fall 2001 nursery containing approximately 50,000 spaced-plants. Established approximately 150 replicated plots of experimental annual bluegrass for turf evaluation. Continued selection efforts for the Pennfine II and Pennfine elite perennial ryegrass breeding program in collaboration with private industry. Continued the statistical characterization of molecular marker variation in mixed populations of perennial ryegrass.

Impacts
This research project will breed genetically improved cultivars of turfgrasses that require reduced resource inputs by possessing inherent tolerances to pest and environmental stresses. This research will allow the Pennsylvania turfgrass industry, a $1.5 billion industry in 1989, to reduce pesticide use and save money while retaining high functional and aesthetic turf quality. This project will also maintain and enhance our natural environment by developing measurable parameters to evaluate and protect the genetic diversity of our native plants.

Publications

• Huff, D.R. 2001. Characterization of Kentucky bluegrass Cultivars using RAPD Markers. International Turfgrass Society Research. 9:169-175.
• Huff, D.R. 2001. Chapter 8: Genetic characterization of heterogeneous plant populations in forage, turf, and native grasses. In: (ed.) G. Spangenberg, Developments in Plant Breeding: Molecular Breeding of Forage Crops. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston. Pp. 249-268.

Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00

Outputs
Collected approximately 300 accessions as germplasm sources for breeding improved cultivars and developing enhanced germplasm of various turfgrass and native grass species. Continuing the assessment of genetic diversity of native populations and commercial cultivars of native grass species to determine if commercial cultivars pose a genetic risk to northeastern native populations: initiated study of Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus). Established a fall 2000 nursery containing approximately 45,000 spaced-plants. Established approximately 130 replicated plots of experimental annual bluegrass for turf evaluation. Continued selection efforts for the Pennfine II and Pennfine elite perennial ryegrass breeding program in collaboration with private industry. Completed the statistical characterization of molecular marker variation in native populations and commercial cultivars of the native grass little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash].

Impacts
This research project will breed genetically improved cultivars of turfgrasses that require reduced resource inputs by possessing inherent tolerances to pest and environmental stresses. This research will allow the Pennsylvania turfgrass industry, a $1.5 billion industry in 1989, to reduce pesticide use and save money while retaining high functional and aesthetic turf quality. This project will also maintain and enhance our natural environment by developing measurable parameters to evaluate and protect the genetic diversity of our native plants.

Publications

• Huff, D.R. 2000. A century of microevolution expedites development of greens-quality Poa annua. Invited by Diversity 16:29-30.
• Huff, D.R. 2000. Genetic characterization of heterogeneous plant populations in forage, turf, and native grasses. Proceedings of the Second International Symposium of Molecular Breeding of Forage Crops 2000. Lorne and Hamilton, Australia. Invited. Pg. 87.