Source: PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
MANAGEMENT OF ANNUAL BLUEGRASS ON GOLF COURSES: IMPROVED PRACTICES FOR MAINTENANCE, PEST CONTROL, AND VIABLE TECHNIQUES FOR TRANSITION TO MO
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0226159
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
NE-1046
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2011
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2016
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
208 MUELLER LABORATORY
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802
Performing Department
Plant Science
Non Technical Summary
Improved exchange of information among turfgrass management specialists, entomologists, weed scientists, breeders, pathologists, and physiologists throughout the U.S. and Canada. Increased knowledge base of practitioners and county extension agents for the control/management of ABW, ABR and P. annua. Improved management practices adopted by golf course superintendents including new biological, biorational, and chemical strategies, and new cultural and ecologically based control techniques. This will result in practitioners having: (a) a better understanding of the biology/ecology and management of P. annua and ABW and ABR; (b) better tools for assessing, monitoring and predicting injury from ABW and ABR on P. annua turf; (c) more effective control strategies for ABW and ABR that are more cost-effective and reduce reliance on chemical inputs; (d) optimal programs for P. annua maintenance, and (e) optimal methods for P. annua suppression, elimination, and transition to more desirable grasses. Adoption and implementation of this information by practitioners will result in reduced pesticide inputs, cost savings to the golf course industry, improved plant health and ultimately enhanced economic and environmental health benefits across the region.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2012130108034%
2122130110233%
2162130106033%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems; 201 - Plant Genome, Genetics, and Genetic Mechanisms;

Subject Of Investigation
2130 - Turf;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1102 - Mycology; 1080 - Genetics;
Goals / Objectives
Objective 2: Develop improved options for the management of ABR associated with P. annua on golf courses in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic including (a) fill critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of ABR biology, ecology, and pathogenesis, (b) develop cultural, biological, chemical, and genetic control options, and (c) develop improved tools for pathogen detection and quantification. Objective 3: Develop a better understanding of stresses that affect P. annua and the cultural, chemical, and genetic methods to mitigate these stresses. Objective 4: Develop cultural, chemical, biological, and genetic methods to suppress/eliminate P. annua and to transition P. annua-dominated areas to more sustainable turfgrass species. Objective 5: Disseminate best management practices for P. annua and major pests and for P. annua suppression/transition to more sustainable turfgrasses and assess impact thereof.
Project Methods
Objective 2: We will address this through population genomics and the development of new molecular tools to allow us to conduct spatially structured, fine-scale population analyses necessary to begin studying C. cereale biology and epidemiology in different turfgrass ecosystems. Critical gaps in our understanding of C. cereale biology and ecology addressed include: (a) evaluation of epidemiological factors associated with disease development and the potential that different C. cereale genotypes are involved in early-season vs. summer outbreaks; (b) comparison of ecological factors associated with different C. cereale pathotypes; and (c) understanding the impact of host islands on pathogen population structure and disease progression. We will develop new genome resources and culture-independent molecular tools to better understand how populations and individuals of C. cereale have evolved in response to biotic and abiotic changes in their environment. Develop cultural, biological, chemical, and genetic control options. Project participants will continue to collect and share ABR isolates from throughout North America for use in lab, greenhouse, and field experiments. The extent of genetic resistance to ABR in commercially available creeping bentgrass cvs., P. annua selections, and existing germplasm collections from NJ and PA will be assessed and elite lines evaluated in the field by CT, MD, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and WI. Objective 3: CA, PA, NJ, an NY will seek to determine the effects of different abiotic stresses (winter injury, heat/drought, scald, mechanical wear, etc.) on P. annua physiology, performance and its impact on the turfs susceptibility to ABW and ABR. Objective 4: All participants will contribute to an initial survey (yr 1) of U.S. golf courses to determine what would currently constitute a successful transition/conversion process to confirm (or refute) specific foci of research for this objective. Cultural management to eliminate P. annua: NJ, PA, and VA will develop cultural techniques (e.g., overseeding species, timing, frequency, and rate; cultivation; soil fertility), alone or in combination with biocontrols and herbicides, to reduce/eliminate P. annua in favor of more desirable turfgrass species. Objective 5: All participants will disseminate and promote the most recent information on BMPs for ABW, ABR, and P. annua on golf course turf and on BMPs for P. annua suppression/transition to more desirable species on golf course turf to turf managers in the U.S. through their regular extension activities (e.g., oral presentations, publications in various printed and electronic outlets). Under the leadership of PA and NJ, all participants will collaborate to develop a BMP publication on P. annua suppression/transition to more sustainable turfgrass spp. based on our findings. At the beginning of the 5th project year, adoption and impact of project findings will be assessed through outreach programs and stakeholder surveys.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Basic and applied turfgrass scientists, public and applied turfgrass breeders, commercial turfgrass managers, and research scientists in biology, plant pathology, and ecology. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of this research have been disseminated to basic and applied scientists and turfgrass professionals at international, national and regional conferences, workshops, departmental seminars, intercollege seminars, and regional and local user-based outreach events. Target groups for outreach activities include MD, PA, and VA extension educators. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We found that the greens-type phenotype of Poa annua links single-branching inflorescences with reductions in culm length, tiller length, leaf length, and panicle length to a single genetic mechanism. However, in advanced-generation progeny, the segregation of the greens-type phenotype does not conform to the disomic single-gene inheritance model. Tetrasomic inheritance, gene complementation, and quantitative inheritance models are also presented. These results, along with the observation of somatic reversions, suggest that the greens-type phenotype is unstable and may be regulated by an epigenetic mechanism. We speculate that epigenetic factors are likely the source of much of Poa annua variablility and provides enormous potential for adaptation to putting environments. We also found that the homeologous nuclear DNA sequences present within Poa annua are inseparable from their respective orthologs within Poa supina Schrad. (supina bluegrass) and Poa infi rma Kunth (weak bluegrass) and therefore could not have been contributed by any other Poa species. We confirm that Poa infirma served as the maternal parent and provide evidence that at least two interspecific hybridizations gave rise to Poa annua. Our data also suggest that the polyploid origin of Poa annua would be considered recent on an evolutionary time scale. After the parental species of Poa annua were been identified, we were able to reexamine previously published cytological data and present evidence for the genomic designations of Poa infi rma as II and Poa supina as SS, making the genomic constitution of the allotetraploid Poa annua as IISS. The results of this research place new emphasis on chromosomal rearrangements that likely took place during the evolution origin of Poa annua. Initiated a new education program on irrigation water quality for golf courses with annual bluegrass. The goal of this project is to develop an education program on interpreting irrigation water test reports and to make informed decisions on how to remediate problems with pH, bicarbonates, and soluble salts so that annual bluegrass quality can be improved. A secondary objective is to develop a database on golf course irrigation water components in PA so that critical ranges on AASL reports can be refined. To date, approximately 150 samples have been collected from golf courses in PA. Seminars have been presented on this topic at the Penn State Golf Turf Conference, NEPA Turf School, Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference, and the Maryland Turfgrass Conference. A publication on this survey is expected next year in a refereed research journal. We found that plant defense response elicitor is potentially a significant component of an integrated disease management strategy to effectively control anthracnose disease of annual bluegrass. The continuation of field evaluation trials to demonstrate the exceptionality of Oreon and Autilus, and their additive effect in enhancing disease control, and providing superintendents with another mode of action to combat the disease, and in doing so, aid in reducing the onset of resistance by incorporating an addition FRAC code into a spray regime. Further, results continued to show that the ISR compound, Civitas, tank-mixed in conjunction with nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers provided excellent control. As resistance to conventional fungicides has increased with anthracnose, the use of ISR compounds and alternative modes of action are crucial for golf course superintendents. Effective implementation of both of the aforementioned management strategies may provide long-term resolutions for turfgrass managers. We found that ABW ovipositional preference and larval development was assessed for three early-season N-fertility regimes. In choice-assays, significantly more adults were found in high-N plots (48.8 kg N ha-1 mo-1 or 1 lb N M-1 mo-1) in 2015, but not in 2016 studies. However, we found significantly more eggs in the medium-N treatments (19.5 kg N ha-1 mo-1 or 0.4 lb N M-1 mo-1) in both years. This is the rate currently recommended for managing anthracnose (Colletotrichum cereale) in P. annua greens in the Northeast. We also found that no significant differences were detected between N fertility treatments in the field for either late-instar larval (4th and 5th instars) or pupal densities. Although statistical differences were not detected, more larvae were recovered from the low-N treatment (4.9 kg N ha-1 mo-1 or 0.1 lb N M-1 mo-1). Additionally, larval fitness (as measured by 5th instar weight) was not affected by N-fertility treatment.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Aynardi, B., Inguagiato, J., McDonald, S., Clarke, B., and W. Uddin. 2016. Lessen your anthracnose struggles. Golfdom. March 2016.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Aynardi, B. and W. Uddin. 2016. Effective fungicidal control of anthracnose on a Poa annua putting green, 2015. Plant Disease Management Reports 10: T027.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Baetsen-Young, A.M., J.E. Kaminski, M.T. Kasson, and D.D. Davis. 2016. Thatch collapse in golf course turf. Golf Course Management. 84(3):87-91.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Aynardi, B. and W. Uddin. 2015. Control of anthracnose basal rot on a newly converted Poa annua putting green, 2014. Plant Disease Management Reports 9: T008.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: La Mantia, J.M. and D.R. Huff. 2011. Instability of the greens-type phenotype in Poa annua L. Crop Sci. 51:17841792. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2010.10.0580.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Mao, Q. and D.R Huff. 2011. Evolutionary origin of Poa annua L. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. San Antonio, TX. AnMtgsAbsts2011.101-20.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Mao, Q. and D.R. Huff. 2016. Characterizing small RNA profiles in allotetraploid Poa annua L. and its diploid parents. Crop Science (In Press).


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for work on anthracnose of annual bluegrass is directed at golf course superintendents, as anthracnose is only problematic in golf course putting greens. The audience also includes molecular biologists studying the effects of plant defense response elicitor on host turfgrass species and the ability to reduce disease severity. In addition to controlling anthracnose with and plant defense response elicitor compound, the program also conducts research experiments for the efficacy of novel compounds for anthracnose management, which are reported annually in Plant Disease Management Reports. During this reporting period, fungicide research investigated the use of a compound, pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) that was reinstated by the EPA for use turf disease control. The project also investigated the novel compound penthiopyrad, and the potential for synergistic effects of PCNB and other companion fungicides for the reduction of disease severity on annual bluegrass. In addition, presentations were made at the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) National Conference, the Eastern and Western Pennsylvania Turf Conference and Trade Shows, and conducted outreach activities, including three workshops on turfgrass disease microscopy and diagnosis at the Eastern PA Turf Conference, the Western PA Turf Conference, and at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ, presenting new information on the use of plant defense response elicitor in management of anthracnose as well as the efficacy of PCNB and penthiopyrad. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the reporting period, Dr. Uddin continues to train Brian Aynardi as a Ph.D. candidate and research technician, and Gary Nolan, as a Ph.D. student, with field project development, experimental design and data analysis. Brian Aynardi has made significant progress over the past year towards completing his Ph.D. program. Dr. Uddin also continues to train Gary Nolan as a Ph.D. student with his research into various aspects of plant defense response elicitor and their use in the turfgrass industry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated widely to the turfgrass industry. Information has been presented on the use of plant defense response elicitor compounds in turfgrass at the annual National GCSAA Conference and various industry conferences and trade shows in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the team has provided the industry with research updates and research information through appropriate trade journal journal articles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the next reporting period, the project will continue to investigate the application of plant defense response elicitor as a component of the integrated disease management program. The team will also investigate some of the possible physiological responses to application of plant defense response elicitors, particularly the attributes of turfgrass quality that is important for green speed, particularly on mixed annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass putting greens. The team will also investigate effects of novel compounds coupling with plant defense response elicitors and traditional fungicides aiming at reducing chemical inputs into turfgrass system for environmental stewardship and reduced management costs.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The study indicated that plant defense response elicitor is potentially a significant component of an integrated disease management strategy to effectively control anthracnose disease of annual bluegrass. This is a significant finding for the turfgrass industry, as well as environmental stewardship, as pesticide use restrictions and EPA limitations of conventional pesticides become stricter. Further, the study of novel compounds and the reinstated-compound by EPA exhibited exceptional control of anthracnose, vastly outperforming currently labelled fungicides. The results show that when used with other non-fungicidal companion products, the synergy of the combination of the ISR compound with low rates of a phosphite and nitrogen are outstanding, often outperforming the standard use of conventional fungicides. Additionally, the synergy of using a plant defense response elicitor and conventional fungicides provide complete control of anthracnose. This is especially important for golf course superintendents, who often face significant challenges in using conventional systemic-fungicides due to resistance development in pathogen population. The ability for the golf course superintendents to utilize plant defense response elicitor compounds to rotate out conventional products will allow for more effective management of the anthracnose disease of annual bluegrass.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Huff, D.R. 2015 The evolutionary arms race between golf course superintendents and Poa annua. Canadian Golf Superintendents Association. Greenmaster, May/June issue.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Huff, D.R. 2015. Frankly Speaking with David Huff: The Superintendents' Arms Race with Poa annua. Dr. Frank Rossis on air radio interview with Dr. David Huff. BlogTalkRadio - TurfNet RADIO, Jul 22, 2015. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/turfnet/2015/07/22/frankly-speaking-with-david-huff-the-superintendents-arms-race-with-poa-annua


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Basic and applied turfgrass scientists, athletic field managers, grounds maintenance personnel, golf course superintendents, lawn care professionals, landscape contractors, cooperative extension personnel, and industry representatives. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduate student training and professional manager edcuation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated to basic and applied turfgrass scientists, athletic field managers, grounds maintenance personnel, golf course superintendents, lawn care professionals, landscape contractors, cooperative extension personnel, and industry representatives at state and regional field days, professional workshops, and local user-based outreach events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? A number of studies have suggested that small RNAs are dynamically regulated in plant responses to stresses. Therefore, in future studies we would like to compare the small RNA expression in Poa annua and its parental species in response to stresses such as mowing and/or traffic. This work may provide more insights into how the polyploid evolution has enabled Poa annua to be more adaptive than both parental species.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Poa annua L., or annual bluegrass, is an agronomically and ecologically important grass species. It is morphologically highly variable, representing a continuum from annual to perennial types. In order to explain the wide distribution and variability in Poa annua, efforts have been made to discover its evolutionary origin ever since the 1930s; however, no definitive conclusions have been made. Our phylogenetic analysis using nuclear and chloroplast gene sequences is the first to confirm that Poa annua (2n=4x=28) is an allotetraploid between an annual grass species Poa infirma Kunth. (2n=2x=14) and a perennial grass species Poa supina Schrad. (2n=2x=14), with the former serving as the maternal parent. Our data also suggest a recent origin of Poa annua, and possibly multiple crosses between the parental species led to the present day Poa annua. Previous phylogenetic studies have suggested that the genomes of Poa infirma and Poa supina are very divergent, representing the largest genetic distance between species within the genus Poa. By analyzing meiotic chromosome pairing data in amphihaploid Poa annua published by Hovin, we were able to determine that the genomes of Poa infirma and Poa supina indeed are very distinct, and we designated them II and SS, making the genomic constitution of Poa annua IISS. Prior to the present study, the biggest controversy on the origin of Poa annua was that its karyotype did not match the combination of the two putative parents Poa infirma and Poa supina. With the two parental species confirmed with DNA sequencing data, it could now be concluded that chromosomal rearrangements must have occurred during the evolutionary origin of Poa annua. In order to explore the extent and patterns of chromosomal rearrangements in Poa annua, fluorescent in situ hybridization was performed to compare rDNA loci in Poa annua and its parents. Our data show variations of genomic rDNA loci between Poa annua and its parents, and among different Poa annua individuals, suggesting that not only did chromosomal rearrangements occur in Poa annua, but also genomic variation exists within this species. Small RNAs play a wide range of regulatory roles in plant development and are associated with polyploid evolution. Four small RNA profiles were generated from young seedlings of Poa infirma, Poa supina, perennial-type Poa annua and annual-type Poa annua. Analyses showed that the four profiles are highly similar in terms of small RNA length distribution, miRNA families and expression levels, indicating that the morphological and life history variation observed 1) between the two types of Poa annua, and 2) among allotetraploid Poa annua and the two diploid parental species are not attributable to the small RNAs examined. However, the profiles generated from this study could serve as a baseline for future work. In summary, the discoveries from this thesis work enhanced our understanding of the phenotypic variability and incredible adaptability of Poa annua, and provided insights into plant polyploid evolution.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Qing Mao, Q. 2014. The Allotetraploid Evolutionary Origin of Annual Bluegrass. Ph.D. dissertation, Intercollege Graduate Program of Plant Biology. The Graduate School, The Pennsylvania State University.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Landschoot, P.J., A. Wolf, and J. Schenk. 2014. Summary of Mehlich-3 P data from home lawn soil tests in Pennsylvania. Applied Turfgrass Science. July. 9, 2014. (11) 1, 1-2. https://www.agronomy.org/publications/ats/articles/11/1/ATS-2014-0048-BR


Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Basic and applied turfgrass scientists, athletic field managers, grounds maintenance personnel, golf course superintendents, lawn care professionals, landscape contractors, cooperative extension personnel, and industry representatives. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results of this research have been disseminated to basic and applied scientists and turfgrass professionals at international, national and regional conferences, workshops, departmental seminars, intercollege seminars, and regional and local user-based outreach events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Little knowledge exists regarding root distribution of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and annual bluegrass (Poa annua) in root zones of golf course putting greens. To compare root distribution between these species, three experimental cultivars of greens-type annual bluegrass and two commercial cultivars of creeping bentgrass (‘Penncross’ and ‘Penn A-4’) were established on an experimental golf green and managed under two nitrogen (N) fertility levels (195 and 65 kg N/ha/year) over a 2-year period. Creeping bentgrass had two and three times the total root mass compared with annual bluegrass during the first and second years of the experiment, respectively. At soil depths of 3–12 cm and below 12 cm, creeping bentgrass had three to four times the root mass compared with annual bluegrass at various times during the experiment. During the first year of the experiment, both species exhibited greater than 50% decrease in total root mass from June to August. During the second year, creeping bentgrass total root mass decreased 10% to 15% and annual bluegrass total root mass decreased 25% to 30% over the same period. Of the two bentgrasses, ‘Penn A-4’ creeping bentgrass exhibited greater total root mass only in the second year; however, ‘Penn A-4’ exhibited greater root mass than ‘Penncross’ below 12 cm in both years. Creeping bentgrass cultivars showed greater root mass below 12 cm at 65 kg N/ha/year compared with 195 kg N/ha/year on some sampling dates in both years. Annual bluegrass cultivars showed no change in any root mass parameters in response to N rates (data not shown), but specific root length (SRL) of annual bluegrass increased under the 65 kg N/ha/year rate compared with the 195 kg N/ha/year rate, whereas SRL of creeping bentgrass was similar at both N rates. Tiller densities of both species increased under the 195 kg N/ha/year rate. ‘Penn A-4’ exhibited higher tiller densities than ‘Penncross’ throughout the experiment and at times was equivalent to the tiller densities of the annual bluegrass cultivars. These results suggest that although creeping bentgrass increases root mass deeper in a putting green root zone mix at lower N rates (65 kg N/ha/year), annual bluegrass exhibits plasticity in specific root length in response to different N rates.

Publications

  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Bonos, S.A. and D.R. Huff. 2013. Cool-Season Grasses: Biology and Breeding. In J. Stier, S.A. Bonos and B. Horgan, eds. Agronomy Monograph, Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management 56:591-660. American Society of Agronomy, Madison. WI. doi:10.2134/agronmonogr56.c17
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Lyons, E., P. Landschoot, and D.R. Huff. 2011. Root distribution and tiller densities of creeping bentgrass cultivars and greens-type annual bluegrass cultivars in a putting green. HortScience 46:1411-1417.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Raley, R., P.J. Landschoot, and J. Brosnan. 2013. Influence of phosphorus and nitrogen on annual bluegrass encroachment in a creeping bentgrass putting green. International Turfgrass Research Journal. 12:649-656.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Han, K.M., and J.E. Kaminski. 2012. Influence of nitrogen, plant growth regulators, and ferrous sulfate on annual bluegrass populations. Proceedings of Crop Sci Soc. Annual Meeting. 2012:71457.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Han, K.M., and J.E. Kaminski. 2012. Influence of methiozolin rates and application timings on Poa annua populations. Proceedings of Crop Sci Soc. Annual Meeting. 2012:74069.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Huff, D.R. and J.M. La Mantia. 2012. How greens-type Poa annua violates the laws of genetics. Pennsylvania Turfgrass. 1(2):14-16.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Huff, D.R., Q. Mao, and J.M. La Mantia. 2012. Genomic and phenotypic instabilities in Poa annua L. Invited oral presentation at the 7th International Symposium on Molecular Breeding of Forage and Turf. Logan, UT. Invited abstract. http://mbft.usu.edu/Proceedings2012.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Landschoot, P.J., Kister, S., and Fidanza, M.A. 2013. Grass species and mowing frequency influence weed encroachment ad quality in naturalized grass swards. Longwood Gardens International Trials Conference, Kennett Square, PA. http://ashs.confex.com/ashs/LG2013/general/papers/index.cgi?username=12853&password=631581
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Mao, Q. and D.R. Huff. 2013. Tracing the genetic evolution of Poa annua. Pennsylvania Turfgrass. 1(4):19.


Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Poa annua L. (annual bluegrass) is one of the world's most widely distributed plant species and is ecologically and economically important both as a weed and as a forage and turfgrass. Determining the evolutionary origin of Poa anuua would provide valuable insight into understanding its wide distribution and extreme phenotypic variability. The objective of the present study is to use single copy nuclear DNA sequences trx and CDO504 and chrolopast sequences ndhF and trnTLF to discern the evolutionary origin of Poa annua from all other possible origins. Here we show that the homeologous nuclear DNA sequences present within Poa annua are inseparable from their respective orthologs within Poa supina Schrad. (supina bluegrass) and Poa infi rma Kunth (weak bluegrass) and therefore could not have been contributed by any other Poa species. We confirm that Poa infirma served as the maternal parent and provide evidence that at least two interspecific hybridizations gave rise to Poa annua. Our data also suggest that the polyploid origin of Poa annua would be considered recent on an evolutionary time scale. Once the parental species of Poa annua have been identified, we were able to reexamine previously published cytological data and present evidence for the genomic designations of Poa infirma as II and Poa supina as SS, making the genomic constitution of the allotetraploid Poa annua as IISS. The results of this research place new emphasis on chromosomal rearrangements that likely took place during the evolution origin of Poa annua. PARTICIPANTS: D.R. Huff, P. Landschoot, M. Schlossberg, J. Kaminski, and A. McNitt (PIs) are responsible for directing and coordinating all aspects of research and dissemination of results including grant writing, budget management, report writing, industrial and scientific seminar preparation and manuscript writing. J. La Mantia was Huff's Ph.D. student researching the genetic basis of greens-type Poa annua evolution. Currently a Post-doctoral Researcher at University of Manitoba. Q. Mao is a Ph.D Candidate in Plant Biology working under the direction of Huff. TARGET AUDIENCES: Basic and applied turfgrass scientists, public and applied trufgrass breeders, commercial turfgrass managers, and research scientists in biology, plant pathology, and ecology. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Results of this research have been disseminated to basic and applied scientists at international, national and regional conferences, workshops, departmental seminars, intercollege seminars, and regional and local user-based outreach events. Our research in the evolutionary biology of Poa annua has changed the knowledge base of Poa annua adaptation and has potential to increase our understanding of managing Poa annua as a turfgrass or as an invasive weed.

Publications

  • Huff, D. R. and J. M. La Mantia. 2012. Greens-type Poa annua violates the laws of genetics. USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research 11(9):1-7.
  • Mao, Q. and D. R. Huff. 2012. The evolutionary origin of Poa annua L. Crop Science 52:1910-1922.
  • Landschoot, P. J. and B. Liu. 2012 Late fall fertilization of turf. Pennsylvania Turfgrass 1(1): 24-25.
  • Landschoot, P. J., M. Fidanza, and S. Kister. 2012. Grass species and mowing frequency influence weed encroachment and quality in naturalized grass swards. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Cincinnati, OH. AnMtgsAbsts2012. http://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2012am/webprogram/Paper73644.html.
  • Liu, B., P. J. Landschoot, and T. Harpster. 2012. Influence of phosphorus in starter fertilizer on establishment of tall fescue turf. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings. Cincinnati, OH. AnMtgsAbsts2012. http://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2012am/webprogram/Paper73642.html.