TURFGRASS BREEDING AND EVALUATION

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1007830
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2015
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2020
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
3 RUTGERS PLZA
NEW BRUNSWICK,NJ 08901-8559

Performing Department
Plant Biology

Non Technical Summary
Turfgrass is an important commodity throughout the United States, and involves many sectors. In a 2003 survey, there were over 860,000 acres in turf in New Jersey with a value of over 1.5 billion dollars. Quality turf beautifies and enhances an environment, conserves soil, reduces pollution and provides a site for recreation. The development and use of new improved cultivars continues to be the greatest need in the turfgrass industry: production of quality turf with reduced costs of seed, management inputs. Reduced levels of fungicides and insecticides needed to maintain fine turf areas. Improved cultivars with better wear tolerance can provide better, safer sports turf. There is a great need for cultivars with better shade and drought tolerance and a reduced growth rate to also reduce maintenance costs. The development of improved breeding and evaluation techniques will benefit other breeding programs designed to improve turf and forage grasses. Collecting germplasm from Europe and Asia will add to the US germplasm base of cool-season turfgrasses and help solve severe disease and other problems. European collections that have contributed new genetic sources of resistance to gray leaf spot in perennial ryegrass since 2000. The effective evaluation of cultivars helps professional turf growers and their clientele choose the top performing cultivars. It is also a great help to individuals involved with cultivar improvement work.

Animal Health Component

33%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

33%

Applied

33%

Developmental

34%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
202	2130	1081	33%
203	2130	1081	33%
204	2130	1081	34%

Knowledge Area
204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest); 203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants; 202 - Plant Genetic Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
2130 - Turf;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;

Keywords

improved

turfgrass

cultivars

Goals / Objectives
Integrating new germplasm sources into the adapted New Jersey germplasm. Evaluate novel endophytes from the USA, Europe and North Africa. Emphasis is on collecting sources of Kentucky and Texas bluegrasses, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues, colonial, creeping and velvet bentgrasses and orchardgrass. Continue to develop more effective breeding and evaluation techniques with emphasis on evaluation of single clonal mowed space plants and seeded single replicated turf plots in open-sun environments. All of these species will be tested under worn and unworn conditions. A new emphasis will be placed on the genetic control of different growth habits in tall fescue and breeding for drought tolerance in tall fescue. Continued emphasis will be on breeding for disease resistance for rust in Kentucky bluegrass, dollar spot and red thread in fine fescue and red thread dollar spot, gray leaf spot and summer leaf spot in perennial ryegrass. A new emphasis will be placed on developing turfgrass for low maintenance conditions with limited fertilizer, pesticides and water inputs. Selecting turfgrasses that are more persistent in Northwest US seed production fields is a high priority along with the development of perennial ryegrasses with larger seed size to allow for the separation of ryegrass from annual bluegrass. Develop tetraploid perennial ryegrasses that have larger seeds while maintaining a fine turf quality. Demonstrate the usefulness of these techniques in the development and release of improved germplasm and cultivars. Educate students and stakeholders. Publish and disseminate information Maintain and monitor cultivars developed at the New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station to continue the assurance of quality seed.

Project Methods
Emphasis placed on identifying disease-resistant germplasm of tall fescue with gray leaf spot, brown patch and red thread resistance; perennial ryegrass with resistance to red thread, dollar spot and gray leaf spot. Continue collection efforts in North America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Northern Africa. Develop techniques to evaluate tall fescue with improved drought tolerance. This will include evaluation in a rainout shelter. Evaluate tall fescues under severe wear conditions to develop new tall fescues for athletic fields. Selecting new phenotypes of tall fescue that will maintain excellent seed production for longer periods in seed fields. Identify and utilize germplasm sources of Chewings, hard, slender and strong creeping red fescues in an attempt to identify sources of resistance to stem and leaf rust which have become serious diseases in the northwestern United States seed production fields. Evaluate the wear tolerance of the different fine fescue species and Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and experimental lines. Study the ability of different turfgrass species and germplasm for their tolerance to persist at low maintenance conditions. Continue current breeding and evaluation programs looking for opportunities to improve performance and efficiency. Continue to work with students and cooperating scientists to develop genetically enhanced germplasm with increased stress and pest resistance. Work with cooperating breeders, seed companies, seed growers seed certification personnel and state seed control specialists to produce and market quality seed. Produce and maintain breeder seed and assist with applications for plant variety protection.

Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Homeowners, turf professionals, golf course superintendents and turf extension personnel. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three new PhD students and 1 MS student were trained in cool-season turfgrass breeding. It is easy to say these students were the top students trained in this area. This program conducted many training sessions in turfgrass cultivar improvement at a student,local,National and International level How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Field Days, Proceedings and refereed and non-refereed journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Released 15 improved turfgrass cultivars each year for 5 years. In the National Turfgrass Evaluation Trials the new cultivars of tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues, Kentucky bluegrass and bentgrasses sourced from Rutgers made up a majority of the top 25 cultivars in each test. These new cultivars had improved resistance to brown patch, dollar spot, gray leaf spot, spring and summer leaf spot and rust diseases.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Vines, P.L., R.M. Daddio, J. Luo, R. Wang, N. Zhang, B.B. Clarke, W.A. Meyer, and S.A. Bonos. 2020. Pyricularia oryzae incites gray leaf spot disease on hard fescue (Festuca brevipila). Accepted to International Turfgrass Society Research Journal, October 9, 2020.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Bonos, S.A., E.N. Weibel, J. Honig, J. A. Murphy, L. H. Chappell and W. A. Meyer. 2020. Divot recovery of cool-season turfgrass species and mixtures in low maintenance fairways. Accepted to International Turfgrass Society Research Journal, September 1, 2020.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Qu, Y., E. J. Green, P. L. Vines, S. Wu, S. A. Bonos, and W. A. Meyer. 2020. Evaluation and genetic analysis of red thread (Laetisaria fuciformis Butdsall) disease incidence in tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.)]. Accepted to International Turfgrass Society Research Journal, August 1, 2020.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Yue, C., J. Wang, E. Watkins, S.A. Bonos, K.C. Nelson, J.A. Murphy, W.A. Meyer, and B.P. Horgan. 2019. Investigating the practices and challenges for turfgrass breeders and distributors. Hortscience 54:129-135. doi:10.21273/hortsci13343-18.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qu, Y., R.M. Daddio, P.E. McCullough, S.A. Bonos and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Phytotoxicity of methiozolin on fine fescue. HortTechnology 29: 265-270.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Weibel, E.N., T.J. Lawson, J.B. Clark, J.A. Murphy, B.B. Clarke, W.A. Meyer and S.A. Bonos. 2020. Performance of bentgrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2019 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 51:1-31.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Wu, S. P. L. Vines, R. F. Bara, D. A. Smith, Y. Qu, R. M. Daddio, S. A. Bonos, and W. A. Meyer. 2020. Performance of fine fescue cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials, 2019. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 51: 33-64.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Daddio, R.M., P.L. Vines, R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, E.N. Weibel, J.A. Murphy, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2020. Performance of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials, 2019. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 51: 65-129.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Halterman, J. R. F. Bara, D. A. Smith, R. M. Daddio, Y. Qu, P. L. Vines, S. A. Bonos, and W. A. Meyer. 2020. Performance of perennial ryegrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials, 2019. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 51:131-164.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Vines, P.L., R. F. Bara, D. A. Smith, R. M. Daddio, Y. Qu, S. A. Bonos, and W. A. Meyer. 2020. Performance of tall fescue cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2019 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 51: 165-186.

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences are homeowners, turfgrass managers, turfgrass seed producers and golf course superintendents. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?2 Ph.D. and 1 MS students being trained. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of our trial data is published each year as a proceedings. This is sent to over 40 seed companies and thousands of consumers on the internet (Rutgers.turf.edu). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, we are going to put emphasis on breeding for drought tolerance. Gray Leaf Spot tolerance and brown patch on tall fescues and perennial ryegrasses. This gray leaf spot disease occurs on both our tall fescue and fine fescue trials. Many of the Rutgers germplasm sources of tall fescue segregated for tolerance to Gray leaf spot The Gray leaf spot was proven to be a pathogen of hard fescues for the first time. We will continue to perform cycles of selection on perennial ryegrasses, tall fescues, fine fescues, and bentgrasses. New emphasis will be placed on crossing European selections with good seed yielding Rutgers adapted Kentucky bluegrasses. A large program will be continued to backcross collections from Europe of tall and fine fescue and perennial ryegrasses.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Breeding techniques used by Rutgers University Breeding cool-season turfgrasses have developed varieties with improved biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In 2019we have selected over from 1000 tall fescue clones under mowing from the rainout shelter. Previous years clones were also kept and evaluated for stem rust resistance high seed yield number and high floret fertility. Superior clones were then retained for crossing blocks and retested for successive years in the rainout shelter. Twelve thousand tall fescue clones were evaluated for brown patch resistance in mowed tiller plots. Each year the most promising germplasm of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, bentgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are released to collaborators for increase. New promising varieties named and released in 2019 were Umqua, Alloy, Vision, Lover, Spike, Process and Infusion perennial ryegrass and Genius, Honeymoon, Annapolis, Corbett, Rebel 5 and Estrena Tall fescues. Two new Chewings fescues were Momentum and conductor, one hart fescue Clarinet and two new red creeping fescues, Chorus and Ruddy. Three new creeping bentgrasses released were MacDonald, S1 and Match Play and the Kentucky bluegrasses were Baba, Chloe, Tattoo and Jersey. Twenty One US plant Variety Protection (PVP) Certificates were issued and 15 PVPs applied for.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Yue, C., J. Wang, E. Watkins, S. Bonos, K. Nelson, J. Murphy, W. Meyer, and B. Horgan. 2019 Investigating the practices and challenges for turfgrass breeders and distributors. HortScience 54 (1):129-135.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qu, Y., R.M. Daddio, P.E. McCullough, S.A. Bonos and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Phytotoxicity of methiozolin on fine fescue. HortTechnology 29: 265-270.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Bonos, S.A., P.L. Vines, and W.A. Meyer. November 11, 2019. Turfgrass science: a future perspective on turfgrass breeding and related research. In Agronomy Abstracts. ASA, Madison, WI.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qu, H.Y., E.J. Green, S.A. Bonos and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Genetic analysis on drought response of tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.)] in rain-out shelter using bayesian mixed linear models. In Agronomy Abstracts. ASA, Madison, WI.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Meyer, W.A., S.A. Bonos, and P.L. Vines. May 15, 2019. Breeding cool-season turfgrass with improved seed production. International herbage seed group conference. Corvallis, OR
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Vines, P.L., J.A. Honig, J. Vaiciunas, C. Kubik, B.S. Bushman, E.N. Weibel, B.B. Clarke, W.A. Meyer, and S.A. Bonos. January 11, 2019. A high-density genetic linkage map and quantitative trait locus analysis for salinity tolerance and dollar spot resistance in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Rutgers Turfgrass Symposium. New Brunswick, NJ.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Meyer, W.A., S.A. Bonos, R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, E.N. Weibel, P.L. Vines, T.M. Tate, A.L. Grimshaw, Y. Qu, and R.M. Daddio. January 11, 2019. Enhancing cool-season turfgrass germplasm by collecting in the centers of origin. Rutgers Turfgrass Symposium. New Brunswick, NJ.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Weibel, E.N., T.J. Lawson, J.B. Clark, J.A. Murphy, B.B. Clarke, W.A. Meyer and S.A. Bonos. 2019. Performance of bentgrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2018 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 50:1-41.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Daddio, R.M., P.L. Vines, R.F. Bara, A.L. Grimshaw, T.M. Tate, D.A. Smith, E.N. Weibel, J.B. Clark, J.A. Murphy, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Performance of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars and Selections in New Jersey Turf Trials, 2018. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 50: 69-124.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qu, Y., R.M. Daddio, P.L. Vines, R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Performance of Tall Fescue Cultivars and Selections in New Jersey Turf Trials, 2018. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 50: 153-179.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Vines, P.L., R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, Y. Qu, R.M. Daddio, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Performance of Fine Fescue Cultivars and Selections in New Jersey Turf Trials, 2018. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 50: 43-68
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Vines, P.L., R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, Y. Qu, R.M. Daddio, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2019. Performance of Perennial Ryegrass Cultivars and Selections in New Jersey Turf Trials, 2018. Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 50:125-152.

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences are turfgrass managers, turfgrass seed producers and golf course superintendents. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?2 Ph.D. and 2 MS students being trained. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of our trial data is published each year as a proceedings. This is sent to over 40 seed companies and thousands of consumers on the internet. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period we are going to put emphasis on breeding for drought tolerance,Gray Leaf Spot resistance and brown patch on tall fescues. This disease occurred on both our tall fescue and fine fescue trials. Many of the Rutgers germplasm sources of tall fescue segregated for resistance to Gray leaf spot. The Gray leaf spot on hard fescue occurred for the first time and the Chewings and Strong creeping red fescues were resistant. We will continue to perform cycles of selection on perennial ryegrasses, tall fescues, fine fescues, and bentgrasses. New emphasis will be placed on crossing European selections with good seed yielding Rutgers adapted Kentucky bluegrasses. A large program will be continued to backcross collections from Europe of tall and fine fescue and perennial ryegrasses.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Breeding techniques used by Rutgers University Breeding cool-season turfgrasses have developed varieties with improved biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In 2018 we have selected over from 1000 tall fescue clones under mowing from the rainout shelter. Previous years clones were also kept and evaluated for stem rust resistance high seed yield number and high floret fertility. Superior clones were then retained for increases in crossing blocks and retested for successive years in the rainout shelter. Twelve thousand tall fescue clones were evaluated for brown patch resistance in mowed tiller plots. Each year the most promising germplasem of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, bentgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are released to collaborators for increase. New promising varieties named and released in 2018 were Shield, Signet and Ruckus perennial ryegrass and Amity, Paramount, 4th Millennium, Rambler, 2SRP, Traverse, 2SRP tall fescues. Three new chewings fescues were Woodall, Leeward and Compass II, one hard fescue, Minimus, and one red creeping fescue called Cardinal II. Two new creeping bentgrasses released were 777 and TourPro and the Kentucky bluegrasses were Martha, Bolt, Heidi, SR2150 and Bluebank. Nine Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Certificates were issued and 12 PVSs were applied for. There are 3 Ph.D. and 2 MS students being trained.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Grimshaw, A., E. Watkins, W. Meyer, and S.A. Bonos. 2018. Heritability of wear tolerance in fine fescues. HortScience. 53 (4): 416-420. doi:10 21273/HORTSCI12450-17.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Barnes, M.R., K.C. Nelson, A.J. Meyer, E. Watkins, S.A. Bonos, B.P. Horgan, W.A. Meyer, J. Murphy and C. Yue. 2018. Public land managers and sustainable urban vegetation: The case of low input-turfgrasses. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 29:284-292.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Yue, C., J. Wang, E. Watkins, S. Bonos, K. Nelson, J. Murphy, W. Meyer, and B. Horgan. 2018 Investigating the practices and challenges for turfgrass breeders and distributors. Accepted for publication September 25, 2018 HortScience.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Honig, J.A. V. Averello, C. Kubik, J. Vaiciunas, B. S. Bushman, S. A. Bonos, and W. A. Meyer. 2018. An update on the classification of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars and accessions based on microsatellite (SSR) markers. Crop Science 58 (4): 1776-1787. doi:10.2135/cropsci2017.11.0689.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Xu, Y., J. Wang, S. Bonos. W. Meyer, and B. Huang. 2018. Candidate genes and molecular markers associated with heat tolerance in fine fescue. Int. J. Mol. Sci. , 19, 116; doi:10.3390/ijms19010116
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wang, J., P. Burgess, S. Bonos, W. Meyer, and B. Huang. 2018. Physiological responses and genetic variations in drought and heat tolerance for fine fescues. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 116; doi:10.3390/ijms19010116.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Luo J, Vines PL, Grimshaw A, Hoffman L, Walsh E, Bonos S, Clarke BB, Murphy JA, Meyer WA, Zhang N. 2017. Magnaporthiopsis meyeri-festucae sp. nov. associated with a summer patch-like disease of fine fescue turfgrasses. Mycologia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2017.1400306
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Weibel, E.N., T.J. Lawson, J.B. Clark, J.A. Murphy, B.B. Clarke, W.A. Meyer and S.A. Bonos. 2018. Performance of bentgrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2017 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 49:1-32.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Grimshaw, A.L., T.M. Tate, D.A. Smith, R. F. Bara, E.N. Weibel, S.A. Bonos and W.A. Meyer. 2018. Performance of fine fescue cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2017 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 49:33-48.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Daddio, R.M., R.F. Bara, A.L. Grimshaw, T.M. Tate, D.A. Smith, E.N. Weibel, J.B. Clark, J.A. Murphy, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2018. Performance of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2017 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 49:46-74.
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Vines, P.L., R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, M.M Mohr, Y. Qu, R.M. Daddio, A.L. Grimshaw, T.M.Tate, S.A. Bonos and W.A. Meyer. 2018. Performance of perennial ryegrass cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2017 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 49:75-98.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Tate, T.M., A.L. Grimshaw, Y. Qu, R.M. Daddio, R.F. Bara, D.A. Smith, M.M. Mohr, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2018. Performance of tall fescue cultivars and selections in New Jersey turf trials. 2017 Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings 49:99-122.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences are turfgrass managers, turfgrass seed producers and golf course superintendents. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?3 Ph.D.s were mentored and 2 Master degree students were mentored. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of the results of our trials are published and disseminated to over 3000 consumers and 40 turf seed producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period we intend to continue the selection of tall fescue cultivars with improved drought and brown patch resistance. We are going to continue our improvement work on all these turf species with a new emphasis on breeding for resistance to Bipolaris leaf spot, especially in chewings fescue. All of the cycles of recurrent selection will be continued each year as in the past. New emphasis will be on making wide crosses on apomitric bluegrasses especially crossing many of the new collections from Europe with American adapted hybrid cultivars. A large program will be continued to backcross collections from Europe of tall fescues and perennial ryegrasses.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Breeding techniques used by Rutgers University and advances that have been made in breeding cool-season grasses have improved abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.In 2017 640 tall fescue clones in mowed space plants were evaluated in a rainout shelter with no water after establishment for 70 days. After this period, 93 plants maintaining green color and density were selected to move to seed production nurseries for 2018 production and to be planted in a replicated mowed tiller plot trial in the rainout shelter . These will also be evaluated in 2018 compared to previous selections made in the rainoutshelter since 2012. To date, the germplasm selected in the rainout shelter have shown outstanding summer performance. All of these are also being put through brown patch screening. The top performers will be put into new improved cultivars.Other accomplishments included the release of new disease resistant persistent cultivars. New cultivars in 2017 were Furlong, Umpqua, Shield , Monsier and Xcellerator perennial ryegrasses, Trinity, Selkirk, Leonardo, Rockwell, Fantasia, Michealangelo, Reflection, Motif, Valkyrie L.S., and Bloodhound tall fescues, Marvel strong creeping red fescue, and two new creeping bentgrasses: Chinook and Coho. 2017 was a very productive year for cultivar development with over 18 new improved cultivars released. Over 14 new PVP's were applied for and 20 PVP's were issued in 2017. Three Ph.D.s were mentored in their progress to degrees and two MS students were worked with. All of the resulting cultivar have improved qualities to require less pesticides and fertilizers to maintain.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Meyer, W. A., L. Hoffman, and S. A. Bonos. 2017. Breeding cool-season turfgrass cultivars for stress tolerance and sustainability in a changing environment. Int. Turfgrass Soc. Res. J. 13:p. 1-8.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Honig, J.A., E. Zelzion, N.E. Wagner, C. Kubik, V. Averello, J. Vaiciunas, D. Bhattacharya, S.A. Bonos, and W.A. Meyer. 2017. Microsatellite identification in Perennial Ryegrass using Next-Generation Sequencing. Crop Sci. 57 (Suppl 1):S-331-S-340. doi:10.2135/cropsci2016.07.0608
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Koch,E.D., J. Honig, J. Vaiciunas, W.A. Meyer and S.A. Bonos. 2017. Endophyte effect on salinity tolerance in perennial ryegrass. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal 13:1-7 (2017). doi:10.2134.itsrj2016.05.0444.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Yue,C., J. Wang, E. Watkins, S.A. Bonos, K.C. Nelson, J.A. Murphy, W.A. Meyer, and B.P. Horgan. 2016. Heterogeneous U.S. and Canada consumer preference for turfgrass attributes. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 00 (2016) 1-37. DOI: 10.111/cjag.12128.

Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences are turfgrass Managers, turfgrass seed producers and golf course superintendents. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?3 Ph.D.s were mentored and 2 Master degree students were mentored. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of the results of our trials are published and disseminated to over 3000 consumers and 40 turf seed producers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period we intend to continue the selection of tall fescue cultivars with improved drought and brown patch resistence. We are going to continue our improvement workon all these turf species with a new emphasis on breeding for resistance to Bipolarisleaf spot, especially in chewings fescue. All of the cycles of recurrent selection will be continued each year as in the past. New emphasis will be on making wide crosses on apomitric bluegrasses especially crossing manyof the new collections from Europe with American adapted hybrid cultivars.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In 2016 1060 tall fescue clones in mowed space plants were evaluated in a rainout shelter with no water after establishment for 80 days. After this period, 104 plants maintaining green color and density were selected to move to seed production nurseries for 2017 production. These will also be evaluated in 2017 compared to previous selections made in the rainout shelter since 2012. To date, the germplasm selected in the rainout shelter have shown outstanding summer performance. All of these are also being put through brown patch screening. The top performers will be put into new improved cultivars. Other accomplishments included the relese of new disease resistant persistent cultivars. New cultivars in 2016 were Intense, Spark and Ruckus perennial ryegrasses, GTO, Amity, Supersonic, Maestro, Avenger II, Titanium SLS, Selkirk, Firecracker SLS, and Raptor II tall fescues, Xeric strong creeping red fescue, Jetty and Gladiator hard fescues, and two new Kentucky bluegrasses, Zinger and Mazama. There was also Piranha creeping bentgrass and the new colonial bentgrasses, Puritan, Musket, and Heritage. 2016 was a very productive year for cultivar development with over 17 new improved cultivars released. Over 20 new PVP's were applied for and 27 PVP's were issued in 2016. Three Ph.D.s were mentored in their progress to degrees and two MS students were worked with. All of the resulting cultivar have improved qualities to require less pesticides and fertilizers to maintain.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Jespersen, D., E. Merewitz, Y. Xu, J. Honig, S. Bonos, W. Meyer, B. Huang. 2016. Quantitative trait loci associated with physiological traits for heat tolerance in creeping bentgrass. Crop Science Vol. 56 No. 3, p. 1314-1329.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ma, X., Q. Xu, W. Meyer, and B. Huang. 2016. Hormone regulation of rhizome development in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) associated with proteomic changes controlling respiratory and amino acid metabolism. Annals of Botany doi: 10.1093/aob/mcw120
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Xu, Q., P. Burgess, Q. Xu, W. Meyer, and B. Huang. 2016. Water and salt sress-inhibition and gibberellin-migration of leaf elongation associated with up-regulation of genes controlling cell expansion. Environmental and Experimental Botany 13:101-109.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ma,X., Q. Xu, W. Meyer, and B. Huang. 2016. Gibberellin-Stimulation of Rhizome Elongation and Differential GA-Responsive Proteomic Changes in Two Grass Species. Frontiers in Plant Science. 23 June 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00905
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Jespersen, D., E. Merewitz, Y, Xu, J. Honig, S. Bonos, W. Meyer, and B. Huang. 2016. Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Physiological Traits for Heat Tolerance in Creeping Bentgrass. Crop Science 56 (3) 1314-1329