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Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1999 Publication Date: N/A Citation: Hanna, W.W., Gates, R.N., and Wilson, J.P. 1999. Breeding warm-season forage and turf grasses. p. 153. Proceedings of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. Salt Lake City, UT, October 31-November 4, 1999. Interpretive Summary: not required Technical Abstract: The opportunities for improving warm-season tropical and subtropical grasses such as bahiagrass, bermudagrass and pearl millet for forage, and bermudagrass and centipedegrass for turf are almost unlimited. Most cultivars of pearl millet and bermudagrass released from our program have been intra- or inter-specific hybrids. Cultivars of bahiagrass and centipedegrass have been developed through recurrent selection. Significant progress has been made in improving dry matter yield and distribution, pest resistance and in vitro dry matter digestibility in forages, and pest resistance, turf quality and cold resistance in turfgrasses. Vegetative propagation in bermudagrass has allowed us to release unique germplasm combinations that produce little or no seed. Our forage and turf cultivars have benefited from interdisciplinary cooperation during development, multi-location testing and production setting evaluation to ensure broad adaptation. Opportunities exist for developing cultivars that use soil nutrients more efficiently. |
