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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #397083
Research Project: Improved Plant Genetic Resources and Methodologies for Rangelands, Pastures, and Turf Landscapes in the Semiarid Western U.S.

Location: Forage and Range Research

Title: Variation for turfgrass performance in a set of Lolium perenne germplasm evaluated under limited irrigation

Author
item Robins, Joseph
item Bushman, Shaun

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/21/2022
Publication Date: 11/7/2022
Citation: Robins, J.G., Bushman, B.S. 2022. Variation for turfgrass performance in a set of Lolium perenne germplasm evaluated under limited irrigation. Crop Science. 63(2):705-711. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20879.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20879

Interpretive Summary: Perennial ryegrass produces high-quality turfgrass only with high precipitation or irrigation. Breeding may improve this characteristic if genetic variation exists for high turfgrass quality under limited irrigation. We examined the variation for perennial ryegrass turfgrass performance under two mowing heights and limited irrigation using 49 germplasm accession and 11 commercial varieties. We found substantial variation within this collection of perennial ryegrass populations for dark green color, ground cover, density, uniformity, and quality. This variation will serve as the starting point for the development of perennial ryegrass varieties that require less irrigation.

Technical Abstract: Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a major turfgrass species in temperate regions around the world. Unfortunately, it lacks drought tolerance compared to other cool-season turfgrass species and often requires substantial inputs of freshwater as supplemental irrigation to achieve high turfgrass quality. To address the need for more drought-tolerant perennial ryegrass, we conducted an evaluation of perennial ryegrass germplasm from the USA National Plant Germplasm System under deficit irrigation conditions and two mowing heights to the grasses. This collection of germplasm accessions and cultivars exhibited substantial variation for turfgrass dark green color, ground cover, density, and quality. Cultivars included as checks generally had greater turfgrass color and density, but the germplasm accessions generally had greater turfgrass ground cover and quality. Selection among these germplasm accessions will provide elite germplasm with utility for improving these traits in applied perennial ryegrass turfgrass breeding programs.