2010 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The objective of this cooperative research project is to develop novel warm-season grass germplasm and associated management technologies for use in irrigated and non-irrigated growing environments. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Collaborative experiments will be designed and implemented either in the laboratory or the field depending upon the objective. Laboratory experiments will be conducted jointly in Logan, Utah, and the Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province, China (IBJ) where research concerning the evaluation of germplasm for abiotic streess environments is being conducted. Where experiments involve the development of molecular technologies for the identification of unique grass genotypes, work will be performed in Logan, Utah, and by the IBJ. Germplasm evaluation of Chinese and U.S. grass accessions (cultivars and lines) will be conducted in the Great Basin Region of Utah and in Jiangsu Province, China, under irrigated and non-irrigated growing conditions as deemed appropriate. This research will attempt to: . 1)develop plant materials with improved turf grass characteristics;. 2)develop plant materials adapted to wet and dry temperate regions under reduced management inputs (e.g., irrigation and fertilizer);. 3)develop improved breeding procedures;. 4)develop new genomic resources for use in evaluation and breeding, and. 5)elucidate the role of endophytes in abiotic stress (e.g., drought, salinity, and heat) environments. 3.Progress Report Germplasm evaluation of Chinese and U.S. grass and legume accessions (cultivars and lines) will be conducted by the FRRL in the Great Basin and the Northeast University (NEU) Harbin, China under irrigated and non-irrigated growing conditions as deemed appropriate. Opportunities for graduate student training at the FRRL were also discussed. Potential graduate students and visiting scientists were identified and invited to participate in this scientific exchange. As a result of this specific cooperative agreement, there is currently one graduate student at the FRRL from Northeast University, Harbin. Monitoring Methods: Chinese and US scientists meet in Harbin China (July 2009) where an agreement was made that laboratory experiments will be conducted jointly in Logan, Utah and the Inner Mongolia University (IMU), where research concerning the evaluation of germplasm for abiotic stress environments is being conducted. During this meeting, it was decided that the group of cooperating institutions be called, the Sino/US Grass Research Alliance (modified from the Chinese/US alliance for grass research) and abbreviated as SUSGRA. This marked the initiation of formal discussions with regards to developing cooperative research agreements with the FRRL for dry temperate environments. It was agreed to develop, organize, and implement plans for a 2010 meeting for SUSGRA in Yangling, China, where the purpose would be to solidify research commitments, to increase awareness of potential cooperative research among new members, and to work to increase the exchange of scientists between China and the U.S.