Location: Forage and Range Research
Project Number: 2080-21000-018-004-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 15, 2015
End Date: Sep 30, 2019
Objective:
The objectives of this cooperative research project are to:
1. Evaluate and characterize the ability of Poa, Lolium, Festuca, or the Triticeae grasses to maintain green color and function under reduced water or salty water conditions, and;
2. Utilize molecular, genomic, and phylogenetic approaches to identify genes and loci that characterize economically important traits and genomes of interest.
Approach:
Novel sources of turf germplasm will be assembled and evaluated for potential use as low-maintenance turf. Possible germplasm sources include the USDA National Plant Germplasm System accessions, poorly characterized cultivars, and hybrids. Field and greenhouse evaluations will be used to characterize their low-maintenance turf potential, and drought and salt tolerance. Flow cytometry and DNA fingerprinting will be utilized to determine ploidy and genome relationships. Genomic techniques will be used to determine relationships and characterize genetic mechanisms of drought and salt tolerance.
