Patent Application
20190104693
The present invention relates generally to a new turfgrass denominated American turfgrass and, more specifically, to a method of using American turfgrass for overseeding.
This American ryegrass [x Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus] invention relates to cultivated varieties of true breeding, stable, tetraploid hybrid between Festuca pratensis Huds. x Lolium perenne L., for the novel use as 1) a short lived, improved turfgrass on golf courses, athletic fields, lawns, and other areas using seeded turfgrasses; 2) overseeding of dormant warm season grasses since its lack of heat tolerance (in southern US) allows for a smooth transition for the warm-season grass; and 3) provide a permanent turf more with cold tolerance, with good winter color, and better drought tolerance than perennial ryegrass.
Festulolium is the name for intergeneric/interspecific hybrid grasses developed by crossing species of Festuca and Lolium. This enables combining the best properties of the two types of grass. Table 1 shows the resulting Festulolium hybrids, their complex, diverse, taxonomy, and nomenclature (Banfi et al, 2017; Ghesquiere et al., 2010; Hopkins et al., 2009). Here forward the forage hybrids are referred to as only Festulolium. The novel turf type Festulolium invention will be referred to as American Ryegrass or turf type Festulolium.
Festuca
Festuca
apennina
gigantea
apenninum)
gignanteum)
Festuca
Festuca
Festuca ×aschersoniana Dörfl.
Lolium ×aschersonianum
arundinacea
pratensis
rundinaceum)
pratense)
Festuca
Festuca
arundinacea
gigantea
rundinaceum)
gignanteum)
Festuca
Lolium
arundinacea
perenne
rundinaceum)
Festuca
arundinacea
rundinaceum)
Festuca
Lolium
gigantea
perenne
gignanteum)
Festuca
Festuca
Festuca ×schlickumii Grantzow
gigantea
pratensis
gignanteum)
pratense)
Festuca
gigantea
gignanteum)
Festuca
pratensis
Banfi, Galasso, Foggi,
Kopecký & Ardenghi,
Kopecký & Ardenghi,
pratense)
Festuca
Festuca ×pseudofallaxWein
pratensis
pratense)
Festuca
Lolium
pratensis
temulentum
A. Camus ex A. Camus
pratense)
Festuca
Lolium
pratensis
perenne
A. Camus (1927)
pratense)
P. Fourn (1935)
Festuca
Festuca ×subnutans Holmb.
pratensis
pratense)
Festuca
pratensis
pratense)
Lolium
perenne
Cugnac & A. Camus in Bull. Soc.
Cugnac & A. Camus in Bull.
Bot. France 91: 19. 1944, nom.
Soc.
Bot. France 91: 19. 1944,
a “×Fesutulolium pabulare”; an invalid name of uncertain origin.
b“×Festulolium nilssonii” Cugnac & A. Camus is based on a previous description in German (without name) by Nilsson (1930), thus it is not validly published (Art. 39.1 of the ICN). It is an artificial hybrid (Nilsson, 1930).
c×Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus; Festuca ×braunii K. Richt., based on F. loliacea var.; aristata A. Braun ex Döll, is a short-awned form of Lolium ×elongatum, erroneously considered as a hybrid between L. multiflorum and L. pratense; the correct name of the latter is L. ×subnutans (Holmberg, 1930).
d×Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus; Festuca ×braunii K. Richt., based on F. loliacea var.; aristata A. Braun ex Döll, is a short-awned form of Lolium ×elongatum, erroneously considered as a hybrid between L. multiflorum and L. pratense; the correct name of the latter is L. ×subnutans (Holmberg, 1930).
e“×Festulolium frederici” Cugnac & A. Camus is based on a previous description in German (without name) by Nilsson (1933), thus it is not validly published (Art. 39.1 of the ICN). It is a spontaneous hybrid (Nilsson, 1933). This plant is reported by Stace (2010) to be known in the wild only from Sweden; previous records from Great Britain are erroneous (Banfi et al. 2017).
Historically and traditionally, Festulolium cultivars have only been developed for forage qualities (Ghesquiere et al., 2010; Hopkins et al., 2009). Table 2 presents some of the released cultivars of Festulolium and their pedigree. In forages, the fescues contribute qualities such as high dry matter yield, resistance to cold, drought tolerance and persistence, while ryegrass is characterized by rapid establishment, good spring growth, good digestibility, sugar content and palatability. The individual Festulolium cultivars contain various combinations of these qualities, but all are substantially higher yielding than their parent lines. While Festulolium have been around for many years as forage and fodder, there are no commercially available cultivars of Festulolium available for permanent or overseeding turf use. This is the first time turf type Festulolium cultivars have been developed specifically for turf applications.
A stable cultivar of American Ryegrass would be a desirable grass for use in both 1) overseeding of dormant warm season grasses; and 2) permanent turf in more temperate climates.
A turf type Festulolium would be a desirable grass for use in overseeding of dormant warm season grasses, since its lack of heat tolerance allows for a smooth transition for the warm-season grass. Festulolium will provide a green cover during the winter months but will die out when the temperatures increase which allow the warm-season grass to grow.
For many southern golf courses planted with Bermuda grass, a standard practice is to overseed every fall with diploid perennial ryegrass. Diploid perennial ryegrass provides an outstanding turf cover during the cool winter months. However, diploid perennial ryegrass is very persistent and does not easily die out and give way for the re-emerging Bermuda grass in the spring when warm weather returns.
Turfgrass managers could utilize a cultivar that has a dark green color, rapid establishment, and the ability to transition rapidly. The two most widely used species for overseeding are annual and diploid perennial ryegrass. Annual ryegrass, such as the variety ‘Gulf,’ have an undesirable color and a very rapid vertical extension rate which results in frequent mowing. Diploid perennial ryegrass has been developed for heat tolerance and permanent turf use and therefore does not transition well.
American Ryegrass in more temperate climates will provide a permanent turf more cold tolerance, with good winter color, and better drought tolerance and persistence than perennial ryegrass.
Turf type Festulolium cultivars (including, but not exclusive to) known as breeder's codes: AMPT001; AMPT002; AMPT003; AMPT005; AMPT006; AMPT007; AMPT008; AMPT009; AMPT010; and AMPT011, and methods used to produce the grass are provided. The grass is useful as a short lived, improved turfgrass on golf courses, athletic fields, lawns and other areas using seeded turfgrasses. The grass is also useful in overseeding of dormant warm season grasses since its lack of heat tolerance allows for a smooth transition for the warm-season grass. Turf type Festulolium will provide a green cover during the winter months but will die out when the temperatures increases to the point which allow the warm-season grass to grow. Turf type Festulolium, in more temperate climates, will provide a permanent turf more cold tolerance, with good winter color, and better drought tolerance and persistence than perennial ryegrass
Turf type Festulolium cultivars of the present invention are different from all other known Festulolium cultivars in that they have the following characteristics:
As used in the broad context in grasses, the term “overseeding” relates to the process of placing grass seed over an existing stand of turfgrass.
As used in the context of this document, the term “overseeding” relates only to the use of cool-season grasses sown into an existing warm season grass turf, for the purpose of having a green cover during the winter months when the warm-season grass is dormant.
As used in the context of this document, the term “permanent turf” relates to temperate climates in which in invention is more cold tolerant, with good winter color, spring green-up, and better drought tolerance and persistence than perennial ryegrass
Establishment—It is important in an overseeding grass to have rapid establishment. This includes a quick germination of the seed and the ability to tiller into areas adjacent to the next seedling.
Color—Many users of overseeding grasses prefer a dark green color. A light color grass can be made darker by applying iron. However, the user generally prefers to not do this unless the grass is too light in color.
Transition—A desirable transition grass is one that will die completely when the warm season grass is starting to reach its peak performance. The overseeding grass cannot die too quickly in the spring before the warm-season grass has an opportunity to grow.
Annual ryegrass-Annual ryegrass was used extensively for overseeding prior to 1970. With breeding improvements of perennial ryegrass the use of annual ryegrass has declined. Annual ryegrass has an excellent germination rate but lacks tillering ability. Annual ryegrass is light in color and usually transitions too abruptly. The course leaf texture and very fast growth rate are undesirable.
Diploid Perennial ryegrass—Perennial ryegrass has a quick germination. It germinates slower than annual ryegrass but still within an acceptable range for the user. It has a very good tillering ability but in some cases it is too aggressive resulting in damage to the warm season grass. Newer cultivars of perennial ryegrass have excellent, dark green, color. The newer varieties of perennial ryegrass which are being sold as overseeding grasses were developed for permanent turf use. The result is a poor transitioning ability. This has resulted in the use of chemical applications to remove the perennial ryegrass. When this is necessary the turf has damage for several weeks, until the warm-season grass can recover.
Intermediate ryegrass—Intermediate ryegrass performance is more difficult to predict. It is a cross between annual and perennial ryegrass. If only one cross is made the performance is most similar to annual ryegrass. Each successive backcross to perennial ryegrass results in performance similar to diploid perennial ryegrass. A problem with current intermediate ryegrass is that it often transitions too rapidly, before the warm-season grass has a desirable level of performance.
Poa trivialis and Fine fescues—Both of these have slow germination and establishment. Because of this they are commonly used in mixtures with other grasses. The cost of producing these grasses is higher and as a result they are not usually used alone. The fine fescues have good transitioning ability compared to Poa trivialis.
American Ryegrass—has a rich very dark green color, high tiller density and slow vertical growth rate. All previous Festulolium cultivars have been developed for forage use, and therefore have a light color, poor turf density, and a rapid vertical growth rate. American Ryegrass has a rapid germination and establishment rate, and transitions when used in overseeding with Bermuda grass (warm-season). American Ryegrass transitions better than diploid perennial ryegrass. American Ryegrass in more temperate climates, will provide a permanent turf more cold tolerance, with good winter color, and better drought tolerance and persistence than perennial ryegrass.
Poa trivialis
Morphological descriptors for American Ryegrass (Turf type Festulolium) can be found in Tables 4a-f, wherein the following definitions are used:
The following examples are furnished to further illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention beyond the examples set forth in the appended claim.
In 1990, the breeding research program that resulted in the tetraploid perennial ryegrass parent was initiated. The following breeding history describes the procedures used:
From 1990-2004, turf type perennial ryegrass populations were developed through traditional plant breeding methodologies for open-pollinated species. One of the resulting populations was APR1797. APR1797 is comprised of 13 lines sprigged from the 03LLP2 turf trial in New Jersey. The plants selected for resistance to gray leaf spot. Gray leaf spot disease is caused by the fungus Pyricularia grisea, also referred to as Magnaporthe grisea. 150 plants from each line were planted, the lines interpollinated and harvested by progeny line and designated APR1797.
In Fall 2004, seed of APR1797 was sent to a laboratory for chromosome doubling, as follows:
Fall 2004, plants moved into isolated crossing block in field.
Spring 2005, plants in the field are rechecked, by flow cytometry, to confirm all are still 4N. Any plants not 4N are removed from the nursery.
Summer 2005, plants harvested and seed was sent by to NexGen, Albany, Oreg. and designated APRT2066. In August, the seed was started and seedlings checked by flow cytometry for ploidy level. Any plant found to be not 4N was discarded.
In September 2005, a single spaced plant increase nursery was established. From seed. Plants used to start a plant selection field of 100 plants per block replicated 5 times.
May 2006, the nursery was evaluated for; dark genetic color, fine leaf texture, crown density, and freedom from disease (Puccinia graminis).
Summer 2006. After evaluation for plant type and ploidy, 264 clones were moved together for hybridization, and designated APRT2114; 27 clones were removed for being early in heading; the plants were confirmed to be 4N, with a flow cytometer, prior to flowering.
Summer 2007, seed of APRT2114 was harvested and bulked.
APRT2114 went through two cycles of selection for resistance to Pypiculeria grisea (Gray Leafspot) and was designated APRT2344.
This will be one of the parents of American ryegrass.
In 1988, the breeding research program that resulted in the tetraploid meadow fescue parent was initiated. The following breeding history describes the procedures used:
From 1988-2010, turf type meadow fescue populations were developed through traditional plant breeding methodologies for open-pollinated species. One of the resulting populations was AMF112. AMF112 in comprised of the top 102 progeny (>68 g/plant) bulked of AMF109 from an 800 plant nursery.
In Summer 2010, seed of AMF112 was doubled in chromosome at the NexGen Turf Research facility in Albany, Oreg., as follows:
Fall 2010: 76 were plants of AMFT114 were moved into isolated crossing block in field. Fifteen of these plants were used to cross with APRT2344.
2010: APMT001: 10 isolated single plant crosses were made crossing APRT2344 (female) x AMFT114 (male), 9 plants of APRT2344 were crossed by AMFT114. The cross was harvested by the female line APRT2344. The seed was bulked and designated APMT001. The first population of Turf Type Festulolium (American Ryegrass)
2011: A plant selection field (PSF) was established with APRT2344 and AMFT114 planted in borders to verify that APMT001 was a hybrid;
Table 5 provides the breeding history for the 11 populations of Turf Type Festulolium (American Ryegrass).
American ryegrass is the first Festulolium turf type to be used for turf application. American ryegrass is also the first Festulolium turf type that exhibits a fine leaf texture and dark leaf color. Leaf color is the density of chlorophyll in the leaf blade, resulting in the intensity of color. In the turfgrass industry, dark green color is preferred. The dark green color gives an impression of a more healthy vigorous turf.
Turf color can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Qualitatively, the relative color of the different cultivars can be scored using a 1-9 visual scale, 9 being the darkest green. Digital analysis can also be used to determine color. A digital picture is taken of the turf. The software program Sigma Scan is used to convert the pixel image to a standard color wheel (hue, saturation and brightness). It then generates a number on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being the darkest green.
Table 6, illustrates the visual comparisons for several cultivars taken in Albany, Oreg. during 2016. The ratings are based on the following: 1=light green; 3=medium-light green; 5=medium green; 7=medium-dark green; 9=dark green.
This study was conducted during the 2015-2016 growing season for cool-season grasses in the transition zone under athletic field/fairway conditions. Forty-six entries of cool-season grasses (ryegrasses) listed in Table 1 were overseeded on a ‘Patriot’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) grown on Cecil sandy loam (fine kaolinitic, thermic, Typic Kanhapludults) on 15 Oct. 2015. Bermudagrass check plots, which were not overseeded, were included in the study for comparison. The field study was conducted at the North Carolina State University's Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Field Lab.
The overseeding study was conducted on Patriot bermudagrass that was scalped to 0.5 inch with a reel mower before overseeding. A shaker bottle was used to hand seed all plots accurately and uniformly. Ryegrass (Lolium spp.) entries were seeded at a rate of 12 pounds per 1000 ft2. Light irrigation was applied twice daily for three weeks following seeding. This was then reduced to a maximum of once per day to replace water loss from evapotranspiration.
The study was mown with a reel mower for the first time fifteen days after seeding at a 0.9-inch bench height and was mown at this height twice weekly until day 55. The mowing height was reduced to 0.75 inch on day 56 and was continued at this height until the end of the study. The study area was generally mown three times a week.
An application of 1 pound N per 1000 ft2 was applied using 24-0-11 on 11 November, followed by 0.5 pounds of N per 1000 ft2 from 24-0-11 on 2 December, 15 January, 19 February, 22 March, and 20 April. So, a total of 3.5 pounds of N per 1000 ft2 was applied during the study.
No herbicide, fungicide, or insecticides were applied to the area during the study.
Ratings included visual estimates of percent cover (0-100%), color (1=brown; 2=brownish-yellow; 3=yellow; 4=yellow-green; 5=greenish-yellow; 6=green; 7=bluish-green; 8=dark green; and 9=deep dark green), and quality (overall appearance and stand uniformity value) with 1=dead grass, 6=minimally acceptable, and 9=highest quality. Digital color photo analysis was conducted once monthly from day 28 through the end of the study. Photographs were taken using a Nikon D80 SLR camera and analyzed with ImageJ software to determine hue (H) saturation (S) and brightness (B) values. Digital green color index (DGCI) values were calculated (DGCI value=[(H−60)/60+(1−S)+(1−B)]/3). Red-Green-Blue (RGB) via digital image analysis was used to determine ryegrass genetic color. A visual 1-9 texture estimate was taken in March (168 DAP) with 1=very coarse and 9=fine. A visual 1-9 density estimate was taken in March (168 DAP) with 9 equaling maximum density. In addition to that data, in March (168 DAP) root shear ratings (N m force) were measured using a Clegg Shear tester.
The study was planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. Means were separated using a Fisher's protected LSD test at 5% level of probability. Data were summarized as growth rate and color across date intervals and presented as gross means in Tables 9 and 13. Data collected from individual dates were summarized in tables and presented with LSD values and variation as CV %.
Rate of establishment in the fairway/athletic field study varied between overseed grasses with the slowest average being Tetradark compared to PSAR-09-2 with a 50% faster establishment rate over the study period. The others in the fast establishing group at the top included Gulf, Carly, Allaire 3, HS-35, NAI-ALS5, and HS-36. Just considering the first month of growth, AMPT005 and Tetradark were the slowest to get started compared to Carly, Allaire 3, PSAR-09-2, HS-35 with a 29% greater rate.
In terms of average quality (density, color & texture) for the duration of the test, HS-35 came out on top, followed by followed by PPG-PR-303, SPR Overseeding Blend, and Cascadia. In terms of just color, Cascadia was the highest but similar to HS-35. The next group included PPG-PR-303, Man O'War, and NAI-PL2. Gulf had the lowest color rating.
Fine leaf texture is important to some for blending in with other grasses. Most of these grasses have a similar texture. Three grasses, Gulf, Approach, and PSAR-09-2 were rated as having coarser textures than the other grasses.
In situ shear strength data put Nomad 4 at the top (128 N m) and Gulf at the bottom (97 N m). This 24% drop is significant in terms of holding up under heavy cleat traffic or club divoting. It should be noted that adding an overseed increased shear strength on average by 95%.
The fastest bermudagrass regrowth were seen in plots growing PSAR-09-2, APMT005, CS-AR-106, and Gulf. With the exception of the American Ryegrass APMT005, these are all annual or intermediate ryegrasses.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/570,988, filed Oct. 9, 2017 and entitled “A METHOD OF OVER-SEEDING USING AMERICAN RYEGRASS, A NEW TURFGRASS,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e).
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62570988 | Oct 2017 | US |
