Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

WERA II Meetings October 2-3 2006 Las Cruces, New Mexico Hosted by N.M.S.U. Dr. B. Leinauer / Dr. R. Goss Sunday October 1, 2006 Dinner was graciously hosted by the Southwest Turfgrass Association. Registration for the meetings was $75.00. Attendees: Arden Baltensparger, New Mexico State University, Emeritus Steve Cockerham, University of California Milt Engleke, Texas A & M Crystal Fricker, Turf Seed, Inc. Victor Gibeault, University of California Paul Johnson, Utah State David Kopec, University of Arizona Bernard Leinauer, New Mexico State University Justin Moss, University of Wyoming Yaling Qian, Colorado State University Colin Scott, Pure Seed Testing, Inc. Joseph Wipff, Barenbrug USA Monday, October 2, 2006 Drs. Leinauer and Goss previewed research plots at both the Fabian Garcia Research Center and at the NM Golf Course. Introductions and greetings were received from Leroy Dougherty, Associate Dean and Associate Director, AES/NMSU. Research studies exhibited included: " Subsurface irrigation for USGA and California greens style construction methods " Warm and cool season variety trials " NTEP trials " Seashore paspalum test plots " Water use efficiency tests " Irrigation requirements for C3/C4 grasses " Drip irrigation " Weed control studies " Water conditioning study " Use of saline water for sub-surface irrigation Lunch was held at the NMSU Football Stadium . The report meeting was held on campus from 1:30 to 5:00 PM. Dr. Leinauer provided a handout from NTEP which addresses the new updated revisions of the Natural Turfgrass Federation (NTF), 3-page pdf attached. A question arose on the acronym change from WRCC 11 to WERA 11. The change was announced previously by the advisor. Next years meeting will be held most likely in Colorado at CSU (2007), and in Arizona at the University of Arizona (2008). This year was unique in that the June meeting was moved to October. Most people liked the move because of the weather considerations and the fact that both warm and cool grass projects could be observed. Representatives from the seed industry highly preferred the October date, since June is an extremely busy time for them, and as a result it is a struggle for the seed industry members to attend meetings in June. The time and date for the 2007 meetings in Colorado is forthcoming. Dr. Leinauer also reported on the NTF Board meetings help September 27, 2006. The NTEP policy committee was present. The objective was to continue dialogue for the turfgrass ARS positions. The tone within ARS has turned from observational to favorable to add ARS turf positions. State Reports Arizona Studies have been recently completed on determining the water use rates of saltgrass, Tifway bermudagrass and Seashore paspalum when soil moisture is not limiting (2 year study). The first year of water use patterns and response to drought was conducted from June to mid September 2006. This study will show if these grasses are water spenders, savers, drought avoiders or drought tolerators. Arizona hosts three on-site tests for NTEP (bentgrass, bermuda, buffalograss) and the 04-06 on-site test. Work is being conducted on salinity screening of saltgrass clones, and the evaluation of cold tolerant giant bermuda for turf home lawns when mowed with at rotary mower. Other research includes year-round maintenance of halophytes of paspalum when overseeded with alkali grass, with and without perennial ryegrass. California The State Extension Turfgrass Specialist position is now open for recruitment. Vic Gibeault remained in his position after retirement to maintain presence and continuity in the program. This new position is 75% extension and 25% research. California hosts NTEP trials in the tall fescue, bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and buffalograss. Low maintenance grass trials at both Las Cruces and Riverside include 20 species/cultivars irrigated at 70% of normal ET for warm season grasses and 1.0 lb of nitrogen/M per year. The plots in California are split in two separate mowing heights of ¾ and 3. The California Research Advisory Commission established in 1996 is comprised of 10 organizations for identifying and funding research needs in turf. These funds support Dr. Robert Green at UCR. Frank Wong, the State Extension pathologist has an excellent web site for turfgrass diseases. The UC system has a field plot set up in the Coachella Valley for turfgrass research. UC Irvine is looking at turf as an active carbon partitioning agent and gas cycler using greenhouse gases. Colorado Ned Tisseret is working on a project which will sequence the genome of Pythium. Tony Koski will be making a full time return to turf from extension administration. CSU will add a drought stress physiologist to the department this year. Applied projects include salinity tolerance of bentgrass, KBG/manure topdressing for turf quality and environmental safety. About 0.8 cubic yards per thousand square feet produces negligible phosphorous run-off, with minimal ammonium content as well. Other projects include carbon sequestration of turfgrass under different management regimes, soil and plant responses to effluent irrigation, and saltgrass studies. The combination of high daytime temperatures, low night temperatures and high soil moisture and low-to-moderate salinity all increase seed yield for Distichlis. Germination of saltgrass is enhanced by mechanical scarifications and hand nicking. Scarified and stratified seed germinate well. Cold moist stratification and dry mechanized scarification improved germination. Sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide or water soaking treatments are not very effective. The LT50 for saltgrass ranges from -14 to -20c as plants regenerated from rhizome pieces. Irrigation and drought studies showed that saltgrass clone A138 has roots present down to 9 feet in the soil, and that on average, consumptive water use is about 50% of that of KBG. Saltgrass will send roots deep in the absence of irrigation. Texas A new hire is Kurt Steinke, ecologist. Richard White is studying water use and consumption in domestic settings. Richard Duble continues to teach. Wallace Menn has retired. Phil Colbaugh is near retirement. Royalties to Texas A&M turfgrass from varietal development has been $2.8 million since 1998. Jim McAfee has been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Research has shown that Pythium volotum is enhanced in pathogenicity from abiotic salt stress (ETRI type infection). Milt Englke is part of the I-4 research team, which integrates genetics/biochemistry to improve stress tolerance in turfgrasses. Two new releases of St. Augustine are forthcoming while Texas bluegrass haploids are being developed as a bridging mechanism for Poa protensis breeding/improvement. Utah Landscape water use studies are investigating water use and homeowners preference in landscape plantings under well watered and drought stressed conditions. Landscapes include a mixture of native and non-native trees, shrubs, and turf grasses. Native landscapes used less water than traditional landscapes during drought periods, but homeowner preference was greatest for non-native landscapes, regardless of the amount of water used. Native grasses in this study include wheatgrasses, buffalograss, Poa spp., and sheeps fescue. Sheep and tall fescues had the best turf performance (appearance) while Black gramma did well in both monoculture and mixtures. Wheatgrass/sheep fescue mixtures did well also. KBG/western wheatgrass provided stable year round turfs. Mixtures with sheep fescue largely became dominated by sheeps fescue. Other projects include sod production of native/adapted grasses, and weed control using nurse crops during alternative grass establishment. A major project is studying gene flow and apomixis in Poa spp. Initial results show a low flow from P. pratensis to other species, with pollen competition in apomitic plants possibly affecting flow rates. The degree of apomixis within and between various species of Poa is being evaluated. A new ARS turfgrass breeding positive will be housed at Logan, Utah. Wyoming Justin Moss is a recent hire as Station Manager/Grass Researcher at Sheridan Station. This facility is 320 acres and will include a future turfgrass research sub-center. Studies included in the beginning will be NTEP KBG trials, homeowner variety plots, weed control of Poa annua on bentgrass greens along with PGR studies. Justin will also teach at a 2 year community college in Sheridan. Classes intended are Introduction to Soil Science, Woody Ornamentals, and Introduction to Turf. Pure Seed Testing, Inc. Varietal development with increased emphasis on stress tolerance. New and ongoing studies include selection schemes for drought, shade and salinity stress. The merger with Scotts is at or near completion. Respectfully submitted, David M. Kopec (University of Arizona) Recording Secretary 2006 In c/o Anthony Koski (Colorado State University) ADDENDUM A. Included : Program Agenda ADDENDUM A- Multi-state Research Project  WERA11 Western Regional Turfgrass Research New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM October 2  3, 2006 PROGRAM Sunday, October 1: Travel to Las Cruces 6:00  6:45 P.M. Registration at Ramada Palms Resorts and Conference Center 7:00 P.M. Dinner at Lorenzos restaurant in Old Mesilla Monday, October 2 8:00  8:30 A.M. Registration at Ramada Palms Resorts and Conference Center 8:30 A.M.  12:00 P.M. Tour of research facilities Bus leaves from the Ramada Hotel at 8:30 A.M. 8:30  10:30 A.M. Fabian Garcia Research Center: 1) Welcome remarks; LeRoy Daugherty, Associate Dean and Associate Director, Agricultural Experiment Station, New Mexico State University 2) USGA and California Greens Construction Methods, Subsurface Irrigation for Sandy Root Zones 3) Warm and Cool Season Demonstration Plots 4) NTEP Zoysiagrass, Bermudagrass, and Buffalograss 5) Seashore Paspalum Test Plots 6) Increasing water-use efficiency of turfgrasses with management practices 7) Warm and Cool Season Turfgrass Irrigation Requirements 8) NM weed management studies 9) Undergraduate Research Project - Drip and sprinkler irrigation for tall fescue establishment 10:30  11:00 A.M. Aggie Memorial Stadium and Salinity Test Site 11:00 A.M.  12:30 P.M. NMSU Golf Course 10) Welcome remarks; Ben Woods, New Mexico State Universitys Senior Vice President for Planning, Physical Resources and University Relations 11) Water Conditioning Study 12) Sprinkler and Subsurface Irrigation with Saline Groundwater 12:30  1:30 P.M. Lunch, Stan Fulton Center 2:00  5:00 P.M. and continued on Tuesday, October 3, 8:30 A.M.  12:00 P.M. Meeting and Research Presentations; Corbett Center, Colfax Room 1) Business Meeting NTEP Update 2007 Meeting Location 2) Presentations University of Arizona University of California Colorado State University Texas A&M University Utah State University University of Wyoming 3) Seed Industry Updates 4) Adjourn

WERA11 Accomplishments (2006) Utah expanded its native turfgrass breeding program by collecting approximately 50 new buffalograss, blue grama, wheatgrass, and bluegrass accessions in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Utah completed a two-years evaluation of 25 different single species and grass mixtures for use as a reduced water use turf. Many of these have not been evaluated in turf conditions and most promising species include western wheatgrass, thickspike wheatgrass, blue grama and buffalograss. Utah established plots to evaluate sod production of native grasses for turf use; this study will continue through 2008, and is being conducted in collaboration with scientists at Montana State University and University of Wyoming. Utah continues efforts with scientists at the USDA-Forage and Range Research Lab to evaluate Poa germplasm for drought and salt tolerance traits and develop germplasm that can be used by breeders around the world. A large field planting with over 350 accessions was established and approximately 60 accessions are being screened for salt tolerance, and more than 100 accessions were screened for reproductive mode (apomictic vs. sexual reproduction) using flow cytometry techniques. This information will assist in identifying parents to begin interspecific hybridization work. Utah has installed large drainage lysimeters to contain three distinct, integrated landscapes. The three landscapes have the same design, but differ in the plant material utilized. One landscape type contains traditional plant materials with Kentucky bluegrass as the turfgrass species. Another landscape type contains native and adapted Intermountain West species with buffalograss as the turfgrass species. The third landscape type is categorized as intermediate in terms of water use and contains tall fescue as the turfgrass species. In collaboration with three Colorado State University faculty members and Water Environment Research Foundation, a project was completed in 2006, to examine the potential for using recycled wastewater (RWW) and household graywater reuse for turf and landscape irrigation. This project comprised an extensive literature review and synthesis of information to define current knowledge and identified important information gaps regarding household graywater irrigation impacts on residential landscaping. Colorado researchers continue work towards the understanding of long-term recycled wastewater irrigation on landscape plants and soil continues. Water samples were collected to assess variability of chemical properties of recycled wastewater in the Front Range of Colorado. Results indicated that there are significant and important variations in water quality between wastewater treatment facilities. Problems associated with saline soils may increase in the future as more recycled wastewater is applied to turf sites. Selection and development of salt tolerant turfgrasses and landscape plants will be important for the long-term sustainability of water reuse. Colorado researchers investigated different seed treatments in enhancing germination and establishment of inland saltgrass, and found that cold moist stratification and dry scarification significantly improved germination and enhanced establishment of seeded saltgrass. A Colorado study, completed in 2006, evaluated the effects of topdressing composted dairy manure onto Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and looked at the potential for nutrient runoff from topdressed plots. Compost applications of 66 cubic meters per hectare or greater increased soil EC; however, increased EC did not negatively impact turf quality. Rates of runoff and erosion and concentrations of total N, nitrate N, total P, and total dissolved P in runoff were not different among treatments. However, all compost treatments did increase ammonium N concentrations in runoff. There were no differences in soil nitrate N or available P levels below the active rooting depth. Colorado began an experiment was begun to examine the quality and relative drought resistance of newer bluegrass cultivars marketed as hybrid bluegrasses (Poa pratensis X Poa arachnifera crosses). Cooperative research (supported, in part, by the United States Golf Association) between Colorado State University and the University of Arizona continues on the development of turf-type saltgrass (Distichlis) cultivars. Two breeding cycles have been completed and 6 lines have been identified for potential public release. Ongoing research is comparing crop coefficients and water use rates of saltgrass, bermudagrass and seashore paspalum (at UA), herbicide and fertilization requirements for establishment and ongoing maintenance of saltgrass (both CSU and UA), cold hardiness of saltgrass accessions (CSU), and salinity tolerance of saltgrass accessions (CSU and UA). Washington researchers installed fifty-one porous ceramic suction lysimeters on a golf course constructed with sand-capped fairways to study (a) surface and shallow subsurface flow (0 to 60 cm depth) of nitrogen and phosphorus in a golf course setting, and the potential impacts of this on surface water quality; and (b) the effectiveness of bioswales and constructed wetlands in filtering nutrients from this water. Washington researchers are conducting a project to evaluate the impact of gene migration, via pollen, seed, and vegetative propagules, from transgenic glyphosate resistant creeping bentgrass (Agostis stolonifera) seed production fields into adjacent areas. There is evidence that: 1) the RR gene escaped and it is established in the area; 2) there has been gene flow by seed and by pollen (however, gene movement by stolons cannot be ruled out); 3) once the gene escapes it is very difficult to control, even the mitigation plan did not eliminate all the RR Agrostis plants in the area; 4) redtop plants have been found to be receptive to the RR pollen, although the extent of this hybridization has to be determined using molecular techniques. Whether the potential hybrid plants produce viable pollen and seed is another question that needs to be considered. A cooperative study between New Mexico State University and the University of California was begun in 2006 to compare the relative irrigation requirements and winter survival of 16 grasses, under minimal irrigation (at 70% PET) and in 2 climatic zones.

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