information to stakeholders and end-users. Ultimately, these efforts will facilitate our long-term goal of reducing water consumptions in landscapes through the continued development and increased utilization of drought tolerant turfgrasses.”
“Continuing research on warm-season perennial turfgrasses through this grant focuses on the knowledge areas (111) Conservation and Efficient Use of Water, and (201) Plant Genome, Genetics, and Genetic Mechanisms. Te new component incorporated into this grant is the knowledge area (203) Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants.”
How It Works
Rainout shelters allow researchers to control the amount of water test grasses receive. Te multiple turfgrass plots under evaluation within this rainout shelter are part of the broader drought study. Photo courtesy of Dr. David Jespersen
“Our 2010 and 2015 projects were crucial in the development of drought-tolerant turfgrass cultivars. Te levels of improvement of these grasses are promising and validate the need to promote adoption, continue cultivar research, and develop tools that facilitate the breeding process,” Milla-Lewis said.
Te grant title provides a glimpse into the scope of this phase of research: “Improving Drought Tolerance and Sustainability of Turfgrasses used in Southern Landscapes Trough the Integration of Breeding, Genetics, Physiology, Economics, and Outreach.”
As stated in the Non-Technical Summery of the current grant, “Te implementation of sustainable landscapes should be a goal in all regions of the country; however, severe droughts and limited water in the southern and western U.S. are dictating changes to the use of specific plant materials and irrigation in landscapes. Tere is a critical need for turfgrasses that provide functional surfaces tolerant to drought, reduced irrigation, and irrigation with reclaimed water. Failure to address these challenges will result in loss of turfgrass areas, along with their economic, environmental, and social benefits.”
And the summary later states, “Significant opportunities remain to advance drought and salinity tolerant turfgrasses with innovations in genomics that leverage the successful economic impacts of our previous work with evolving industry needs and societal preferences. Te levels of improvement of our released cultivars are promising and substantiate the need for continued quantification of their reduced water use. Implementing education and outreach efforts to increase their adoption will maximize the economic and environmental impact of these grasses. Advancing our successful research relationship will increase the efficiency of cultivar development through use of new screening tools and technologies, and dissemination of
TPI Turf News July/August 2022
Te process is complex and multifaceted. Consider just one of the interrelated objectives as stated in the project Goals and Objectives, “Identify candidate genes through an integrated analysis that combines gene expression with metabolic information.” And in just one line item of the Project Methods section, “MetaboAnalyst software will be used for multivariate analysis of metabolomics data as well as integrated pathways using differences in gene expression from transcriptome data sets.”
Tis photo shows the rainout shelter structure, with sides that can be rolled up or down to better control weather conditions. Equipment is in place to begin determining water use of the test grasses grown in lysimeters. Photo courtesy of Dr. Grady Miller
Miller and Jespersen explain the heart of the process in less technical terminology. Miller says, “Te project is like an onion with all the layers. My staff and those of other similar groups across the team are working in the field trying to better quantify how the plant functions at varied levels of drought. We’re not looking at the genetics; we’re trying to figure out how little water each cultivar needs to maintain quality and how that compares to the needs of older cultivars.” Jespersen says, “My lab, along with groups at other collaborating universities, are also performing growth chamber work in a very controlled, extremely uniform environment looking more at the mechanisms
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