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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117968
Title: SEED PRODUCTION AND TURF QUALITY OF THE USDA KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS CORE COLLECTION

Author
item Johnson, Richard
item JOHNSTON, W. - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item GOLOB, C. - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The inland Northwest produces most of the seed for Kentucky bluegrass seed industry. Field burning has traditionally been used as a management tool to increase seed production. This practice is being phased out due to health concerns associated with smoke pollution. It is not clear how much genetic variation may be available to develop new Kentucky bluegrass accessions that perform better under no-burn management systems and still maintain good turf grass quality. This study showed that certain accessions of genetic material in the USDA collection of Kentucky bluegrass shows promise to help minimize the negative impact of no-burn systems on Kentucky bluegrass seed production.

Technical Abstract: Alternatives to open-field burning of Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) are needed as burning is increasingly reduced through regulation. A KBG core collection of 22 accessions, developed from the USDA germplasm collection, along with nine check cultivars and 17 selected accessions, were tested in different residue management systems. Compared to open-field burning, yields were reduced by 76% when no residue was removed and 31% when residue was removed mechanically. On separate turf plots, turfgrass quality ratings were highest in the group of check cultivars, as expected. But some accessions in the core collection had both good turf quality and seed yield. Compared with open-field burning, some entries showed no reduction in yield with mechanical residue removal, whereas others were strongly reduced. The results suggest that genotype selection is an important factor in maximizing seed yields under no-burn residue management systems.