SERA48: Turf

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Active

Project Menu

SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[09/26/2025]

Date of Annual Report: 09/26/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/13/2025 - 07/13/2025
Period the Report Covers: 07/01/2025 - 07/01/2025

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

1. Water Conservation and Drought Tolerance Dr. Jespersen and Ph.D. Student (Seelam), work on understanding the mechanisms in drought tolerant breeding lines through a multi-omics approach that combines profiling of metabolites and gene expression in important warm-season turfgrasses. Dr. Jespersen continued working on precision irrigation management (Singh and Vaibhav), as well as improved salinity tolerance (Mondal). Dr. Mingying Xiang advised two MS students on their research projects. Miss. Prabha Adhikari investigated the physiological response of four bermudagrass varieties to drought stress, while Mr. Binod Pokhrel explored the impact of a horticultural mineral oil on bermudagrass performance under salinity stress and examined the salinity tolerance mechanisms of bermudagrass. Dr. Shuhao Yu co-advised Miss. Prabha Adhikari conducted a QTL mapping study to understand the genetic mechanisms associated with drought response from a common bermudagrass population. Information derived from this study will be used to improve the accuracy and efficiency of bermudagrass breeding. In addition, Miss. Prabha Adhikari also conducted a QTL study to investigate the salinity tolerance genetic mechanisms from an African bermudagrass population. A Ph. D. student/Research Associate, Jason Eberhard is working on the biological nature of soil hydrophobicity in golf putting greens.  Some progress has been made in identifying soil microbiome composition that favor hydrophobicity.  This has also led us into an examination of soil health in putting greens and we have found that many have higher soil health metrics than we thought they would have.  Dr. Boeri at Texas A&M AgriLife- Dallas, is working on the preliminary results of the WaterMyYard trial that will provide updated Kc values for Cobalt, Raleigh, Tiftuf, Tifway, and Palisades (Fipps, G., Chandra, A. Boeri, P.A. 2022-2024) Dr. Chavarria and his PhD student are working on the effect of soil-applied and top-dressed organic amendments on turfgrass quality and soil physical properties     2. Ecosystem Services Eric DeBoer is advising master’s student Yaohui Liu working on machine learning models for increasing efficiency of nitrogen-based fertilizer products on golf course fairways. Fontanier led an SCRI planning workshop to discuss proposal development and research needs relevant to biodiverse lawn concepts. Over 30 faculty and industry stakeholders met in person and virtually in Stillwater in fall 2024. A proposal was subsequently developed and submitted to the SCRI call later that year. The Refuge Lawn project seeks to include pollinator habitat within low-maintenance lawns and greenspace through the inclusion of flowering forbs. Graduate student projects at MSU include study of agronomic traits and characteristics of spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), a candidate native forb species, and characterization of insect visitors to biodiverse turf habitats. Dr. Boeri at Texas A&M AgriLife- Dallas, started a trial to revise the N fertilizer recommendations and cultural practices for St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass in north Texas (Boeri, P.A. 2024-2026     3. Pest Management Eric DeBoer is advising master’s student Yaohui Liu evaluating soil amendments for the ability to increase rooting and health of centipedegrass sod in SE Louisiana. Dr. Dennis Martin and the roadside vegetation management team (staff members Dr. Andrea Connally, and Mr. David Gerken) received a 1-year grand starting Oct 1, 2023 for evaluation of herbicidal treatments of johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) in roadside right-of-way and control of winter-annual ryegrass (Lolium)/brome (Bromus) species complex in roadside. Work is being conducted on tank-mix compatibility of herbicides with drift reduction additives. Johnsongrass accessions are also being collected for future testing for increased levels of herbicide resistance. Other projects at MSU seek to integrate autonomous identification of weeds, precision mapping, and hyper-precise application technologies into commercially viable workflows and platforms for professional turfgrass stakeholders.     4. Development of Improved Turfgrass Varieties for the Southern Region Dr. Jespersen continues to work with turfgrass breeders (Drs. Schwartz and Raymer) to help screen and characterize improved lines. Dr. Jespersen advising a graduate student (Fan) that is working on improved heat tolerance in bentgrass  MSU turfgrass breeding program focuses on warm-season turfgrasses, their performance under environmental and biotic stresses, and sustainability. Two species are currently in the breeding pipelines – bermudagrass and carpetgrass. Carpetgrass collection was initiated by Dr. Jay McCurdy and is being expanded by Drs. Pudzianowska and McCurdy. The turfgrass improvement team at Oklahoma State University released two drought resistant turf bermudagrass cultivars, OSU2081 and OSU2082 in 2024. Commercialization of OSU2081 is planned for 2025. Dr. Dennis Martin collected 109 frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) and 15 white clover (Trifolium repens) accessions from around Oklahoma during 2022-2024. The accessions are being evaluated for tolerance to standard turf-type performance conditions. Next steps include development of sod production systems and seed trait testing. The turf bermudagrass development team continues its work to developed clonally propagated bermudagrasses for lawns, grounds, golf courses (fairways, teebox, putting greens) and sports fields that have improved water-use efficiency, drought resistance, improved winter-hardiness, and high quality. Multiple lines remain under test for at this time in comparison with industry standard cultivars. The development team is lead by Dr. Yanqi Wu with participating faculty members being Dr. Charles Fontanier, Dr. Mingying Xiang, Dr. Shuhao Yu, Dr. Dennis Martin, and Dr. Nathan Walker.     5. Developing and Conduction Educational, Extension, and Outreach Programs Summarizing and Promoting Transfer of the previous 4 areas. Dr. Chavarria and TAMU Turf team held the Turfgrass Short Course with English and Spanish sessions. Turfgrass Field Days were hosted at MSU, OSU, Clemson, NC State, UF, TAMU-Dallas, Auburn, UGA-Griffin, plus the Deep South Turfgrass Expo.

Publications

Arikilla, S., Cevallos, F., Moss, J. Q., Yu, S., Fontanier, C. H., Martin, D. L., ... & Xiang, M. (2025). Responses of turf‐type hybrid bermudagrasses to drought stress. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Battaglia, M. V., Anders, J. K., Hensler, K. L., Kerns, J. P., McCall, D. S., Richardson, M. D., ... & Hutchens, W. J. (2025). Fungicidal control options for silvery thread moss on creeping bentgrass putting greens. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Birnbaum, A. L., Howe, J., Earp, R., Burke, J., Wherley, B., & Dhingra, A. (2025). Mineralization potential of spent coffee grounds and other nutrient sources. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 89(1), e70007. Boeri, P. A., Unruh, J. B., Kenworthy, K. E., Blount, A. R., Schiavon, M., Reisinger, A. J., & Iannone III, B. V. (2025). Nitrogen leaching and groundwater recharge of alternative lawn conversions in subtropical climates. Crop Science, 65(1), e21381. Bowling, R. G., McCurdy, J. D., de Castro, E., Patton, A. J., Brosnan, J. T., Askew, S. D., ... & Bagavathiannan, M. V. (2024). Multi‐state survey to identify suspected resistance to four herbicides and one plant growth regulator in Poa annua. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 10(2), e20300. Boyle, P. E., Richardson, M. D., Karcher, D. E., Hignight, K. W., Hignight, D., & Secks, M. E. (2024). Endophyte effects on drought tolerance of turf‐type tall fescue. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 10(2), e20310. Carr, T. Q., Karcher, D. E., & Richardson, M. D. (2025). Water use and performance of Kentucky bluegrass influenced by cultivar, irrigation practices, and soil texture. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Cox, K. D., Kenworthy, K. E., Rios, E. F., Unruh, J. B., Chandra, A., & Erickson, J. (2025). The suitability of polyethylene glycol for inducing drought symptoms in zoysiagrass. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Dhal, S., Alvarado, J., Braga-Neto, U., & Wherley, B. (2024). Machine learning-based smart irrigation controller for runoff minimization in turfgrass irrigation. Smart Agricultural Technology, 9, 100569. Doherty, J. R., Hutchens, W. J., Booth, J. C., McCall, D. S., Battaglia, M. V., DeBoer, E. J., & Roberts, J. A. (2024). Improving winter survival of interspecific hybrid bermudagrass in the Mid‐Atlantic region through cultural practices. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 10(2), e20303. Flores, G., Wherley, B., McInnes, K., Feagley, S., & Hejl, R. (2024). Evaluation of spent coffee grounds as a nutrient source for turfgrass systems. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 47(19), 3526-3541. Gouveia, B. T., Kenworthy, K. E., Chandra, A., Schwartz, B. M., Zhang, J., Raymer, P. L., ... & Milla‐Lewis, S. (2025). Enhancing drought resistance in warm‐season turfgrasses: Fourteen years of progress through a multistate collaborative project across the southern United States. Crop Science, 65(1), e221393. Green, W. T., Kreinberg, S. T., McCalla Jr, J. H., Hutchens, W. J., Hignight, K., Hignight, D., & Richardson, M. D. (2025). Alternative cool‐season turfgrass species for overseeding dormant bermudagrass. Hutchens, W. J., Anders, J. K., Butler, E. L., Kerns, J. P., McCall, D. S., Miller, G. L., & Walker, N. R. (2025). Fifteen years of findings: Advancements in spring dead spot research from 2009 to 2024. Crop Science, 65(1), e21367. Hutchens, W. J., Booth, J. C., Goatley, J. M., Roberson, T. L., & McCall, D. S. (2025). Optimizing fungicide application timing for spring dead spot based on soil temperature and season. Crop Science, 65(1), e21411. Hutchens, W. J., Carr, T. Q., Patton, A. J., Bigelow, C. A., DeBoer, E. J., Goatley, J. M., ... & Xiang, M. (2024). Management strategies for preventing and recovering from bermudagrass winterkill. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 10(2), e20302. Jespersen, D., & Rowe, S. (2025). Chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of turfgrasses grown under shade trees. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Jespersen, D., Saab, J. A., & Draughn, M. (2025). Ion specificity of salt glands in zoysiagrass under different exposures to sodium and potassium. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Kreinberg, S. T., Kerns, J. P., Miller, G. L., Richardson, M. D., Spurlock, T. N., & Hutchens, W. J. (2025). Review of the biology and management of large patch of warm‐season turfgrasses. Crop Science, 65(2), e70055. McCurdy, J. D., Bowling, R. G., de Castro, E. B., Patton, A. J., Kowalewski, A. R., Mattox, C. M., ... & Bagavathiannan, M. V. (2025). Poa annua ecology, biology, and integrated weed management practices in turfgrass. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 11(1), e70019. McElroy, J. S., Strickland, M., Nunes, L. R. T., Magni, S., Fontani, M., Fontanelli, M., & Volterrani, M. (2025). Robotic mowing technology in turfgrass management: Past, present, and future. Crop Science, 65(3), e70081. McLoughlin, P. H., Sierra Augustinus, I. A., Arevalo Alvarenga, A. F., & Schiavon, M. (2025). Risk of nutrient leaching following over‐irrigation of two warm‐season turfgrasses with recycled water. Crop Science, 65(1), e21341. McNally, B. C., Chhetri, M., Patton, A. J., Liu, W., Hoyle, J. A., Brosnan, J. T., ... & Fry, J. D. (2025). Optimizing ethephon application timing for ‘Meyer’zoysiagrass seedhead suppression. Crop Science, 65(1), e21350. Milla‐Lewis, S. R., Gouveia, B. T., Kenworthy, K., Zhang, J., Chandra, A., Miller, G. L., ... & Unruh, J. B. (2025). Maximizing genetic gains across agronomic and consumer preference traits in St. Augustinegrass breeding. Crop Science, 65(1), e21374. Montgomery, J., Morran, S., MacGregor, D. R., McElroy, J. S., Neve, P., Neto, C., ... & Gaines, T. A. (2024). Current status of community resources and priorities for weed genomics research. Genome biology, 25(1), 139. Osburn, A. W., Bowling, R. G., Unruh, J. B., McKeithen, C., Hathcoat, D., & Bagavathiannan, M. (2024). Annual bluegrass cross resistance to prodiamine and pronamide in the southern United States. Weed Technology, 38, e76. Pokhrel, B., Yu, S., Fontanier, C., Martin, D., Wu, Y., & Xiang, M. (2024). Impact of a horticultural mineral oil on bermudagrass performance under salinity stress. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Reed, C., Harriman, R., Koch, M., Baldwin, C., Gardner, D., Chang, B., & Wherley, B. (2024). Minimal light requirements and performance under reduced photosynthetic photon flux of GA2ox‐transformed and conventional Kentucky bluegrass. Crop Science, 64(2), 1027-1038. Seelam, R. T., & Jespersen, D. (2025). Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveal differentially expressed genes and metabolic pathways in bermudagrass under drought stress. Crop Science, 65(1), e21412. Singh, A., Smith, B., Russell, D., Price, A. J., McElroy, J. S., & Maity, A. (2025). Endozoochorous seed dispersal potential of five major southern US weeds. Weed Science, 73(1), e54. Taylor, J. W., Amgain, N. R., Patton, A. J., Bowling, R. G., Bagavathiannan, M., & McCarty, L. B. (2025). Allelopathic potential of warm‐season turfgrass species as an alternative management strategies for weed control. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. van der Laat, R., Leon, R. G., Dale, A. G., Gouveia, B., Carbajal, E. M., Schiavon, M., ... & Milla‐Lewis, S. R. (2025). Molecular analysis of St. Augustinegrass cultivar mixtures composition over time and latitude. Crop Science, 65(1), e21370. Vines, P. L., Gouveia, B. T., Chandra, A., Chavarria, M. R., Fontanier, C. H., Kenworthy, K. E., ... & Milla‐Lewis, S. R. (2025). Performance of advanced breeding lines of bermudagrasses, seashore paspalum, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrasses in response to shade. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Vukovic, V., Mattox, C. M., Kowalewski, A. R., McNally, B. C., McElroy, J. S., & Patton, A. J. (2024). A survey of ethofumesate resistant annual bluegrass (Poa annua) on US golf courses. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 10(1), e20282. Walton, T. E., McCalla, J. H., Karcher, D. E., Hutchens, W. J., Chandra, A., & Richardson, M. D. (2025). Shade, height of cut, and plant growth regulator effects on bermudagrass and zoysiagrass putting greens. Crop Science, 65(1), e21394. Yu, S., Fontanier, C. H., Yan, L., Martin, D. L., Moss, J. Q., & Wu, Y. (2024). Genetic variability and QTL mapping of morphological traits and inflorescence prolificacy in African bermudagrass. Crop Science, 64(3), 1910-1927. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21227">https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21227</a> Yu, S., Wu, Y., Fang, T., Xiang, M., Fontanier, C. H., Moss, J. Q., & Martin, D. L. (2025). Detection of QTL associated with morphological, adaptive, and reproductive traits in common bermudagrass. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal.