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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #202067
Title: Development of Creeping Bentgrass with Resistance to Snow Mold and Dollar Spot

Author
item Casler, Michael
item JUNG, G. - UNIV. OF WISCONSIN-MADISO
item BUGHRARA, S. - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV.
item HAMBLIN, A. - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
item WILLIAMSON, C. - UNIV. OF WISCONSIN-MADISO
item VOIGT, T. - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Submitted to: USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/28/2006
Publication Date: 9/28/2006
Citation: Casler, M.D., Jung, G., Bughrara, S., Hamblin, A., Williamson, C., Voigt, T. 2006. Development of Creeping Bentgrass with Resistance to Snow Mold and Dollar Spot. USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online. 5(18):1-10.

Interpretive Summary: Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) is the premier grass for golf course putting greens and is one of the most desirable grasses for fairways and tee boxes for much of the USA. Recent breeding advances have demonstrated that genetic variation exists within creeping bentgrass for a range of pest resistances and stress tolerances. For many golf courses, maintenance of a high quality turf requires frequent, varied, and intensive pesticide applications. Our goal was to identify creeping bentgrass clones with multiple pest resistances for use in breeding new bentgrass varieties. We identified 20 clones with superior resistance to both dollar spot and snow mold diseases. This report and these clones will be of value to golf course superintendents and to turfgrass breeders.

Technical Abstract: Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) is the premier grass for golf course putting greens and is one of the most desirable grasses for fairways and tee boxes for much of the USA. Recent breeding advances have demonstrated that genetic variation exists within creeping bentgrass for a range of pest resistances and stress tolerances. For many golf courses, maintenance of a high quality turf requires frequent, varied, and intensive pesticide applications. Our goal was to identify creeping bentgrass clones with multiple pest resistances for use in breeding new bentgrass varieties. - Field evaluations of dollar spot and snow mold resistance of creeping bentgrass clones were highly successful, resulting in wide variation among clones. - Multiple field sites and collaborators at different locations were essential, because of relatively low correspondence among locations, particularly for snow mold. - The lack of correspondence among locations suggests the possibility of some fungal species-specific resistance for snow molds, and possibly some isolate-specific resistance for dollar spot. - The small number of creeping bentgrass clones selected for superior resistance to dollar spot and snow molds represent a valuable genetic resource that should be useful in beginning to breed new varieties of creeping bentgrass and creeping x colonial bentgrass hybrids for multiple disease resistance.