2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): I. Drought, heat, and salt tolerant turf grasses will be identified, and their mechanisms of tolerance investigated. II. New collections of putative drought tolerant turf grasses from central Asia will be evaluated for drought tolerance. III. Physiological and/or genetic relationships among target low maintenance turf species will be evaluated. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): Novel and traditional sources of turfgrasses will be assembled and evaluated in field, greenhouse, and lab settings for stress tolerance, genetic relationships, ploidy level, and turf quality. 3.Progress Report: The main objective of this project was to conduct coordinated turfgrass research involving abiotic stress tolerance and sustainability, particularly in the intermountain western region of the USA. The FRRL coordinates and cooperates with Utah State University in research involving: (1) selecting for salinity tolerance in turfgrasses, (2) improving drought tolerance and stay green under deficit irrigation in turfgrasses, and (3) identification of novel sources of turfgrass seed. During FY-2012: A publication documenting the discovery of drought tolerant Kentucky bluegrass varieties and accessions was published, and lines were moved into seed production and quality testing under ideal conditions. Greenhouse screening of previously identified salt tolerant Kentucky bluegrass accessions is underway to determine consistent measurement techniques and to better understand the response mechanisms of Kentucky bluegrass. Percent green color was evaluated on a second year’s data of new collections of several turfgrass species from the Caucasus mountain region in Russia. A combined field analysis of perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass for salinity tolerance is planned.