There has been a long history for turfgrass breeding programs to evaluate, develop, and introduce turfgrass cultivars with superior traits for use on lawns, sports fields, parks, roadsides, and other landscapes. Turfgrass breeding, like any other
The Beginning of a Legacy In 1946, Glen Burton and the USDA-ARS initiated a turfgrass breeding program in Tifton, GA to develop better bermudagrasses to replace sand putting greens or seeded varieties ( Burton, 1991 ). Researchers scouted golf
.1111/j.1399-3054.1995.tb00978.x Taliaferro, C.M. 2003 Bermudagrass ( Cynodon (L.) Rich) 235 256 Casler M.D. Duncan R.R. Turfgrass biology, genetics and breeding Wiley Hoboken, NJ Troll
Drought stress is a major factor limiting turfgrass growth in semiarid and arid regions across the world. It becomes more important during the summer months when evapotranspiration demand is increased. Radiation-induced mutations have been used to
1 Graduate student. 2 Associate professor in plant breeding and biometrics; to whom reprint requests should be addressed. 3 Associate professor in biochemistry. 4 Associate professor in environmental and resource sciences. Supported by Nevada
1 Graduate research assistant; e-mail ericw@rci.rutgers.edu . 2 Professor. Research supported by the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science, New Jersey Agricultural Station, and New Jersey Turfgrass Association Publication No. D-12180
Increased urban development and the concomitant increase in turfgrass acreage have resulted in increased research of turfgrass breeding and associated management practices. In the United States, turfgrasses occupy 1.9% of the continental surface and
for turfgrass characteristics through hybridization breeding; 2) assess if change in one parent has an effect on the level of genetic variability generated in a buffalograss diploid population; and 3) predict the performance of a progeny generated from
is possible for several turfgrass performance traits ( Kenworthy et al., 2006 ). This necessitates the screening of both African and common bermudagrass. The University of Florida bermudagrass breeding program through multiyear evaluations has
Breeding salinity tolerance into new turfgrass cultivars is of extreme importance as a result of increasing pressure from local governments to use wastewater as a replacement for potable irrigation water on turfgrass sites. This pressure typically