USPP3151P - New and distinct variety of - Google Patents

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May 2, 1972 c. R. FUNK, JR Plant Pat. 3,151

NEW AND nzswmc r VARIETY or BLUEGRASS PLANT Filed Sept 17, 1970 3,151 NEW AND DISTINCT VARIETY OF BLUEGRASS PLANT Cyril Reed Funk, Jr., Milltown, N.J., assignor to Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Filed Sept. 17, 1970, Ser. No. 73,271 Int. Cl. Alllh /00 US. Cl. Plt.--88 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Kentucky bluegrass plant, and more particular- 1y to a bluegrass plant which exhibits an attractive dark green color and excellent resistance to stripe smut disease.

The new variety was discovered by me in a cultivated lawn in Albany, N.Y. An attractive, vigorous, dark green, fine textured patch of grass was observed in an area where most other bluegrass plants were doing poorly or had been replaced by crabgrass and other unwanted weeds. Plant material from this spot was taken to a greenhouse, and I asexually reproduced additional plants of the variety by the method of vegetative propagation. After growth in the greenhouse, the vegetatively reproduced plants were transferred to field nurseries for increase and subsequent turf evaluation. Progeny tests were conducted and showed that the plant could also be reproduced asexually by means of disseminules. The plant was identified as NJE P-29 bluegrass.

NJ-E P-29 bluegrass exhibits a unique combination of characteristics which distinguishes it from all other varieties of which I am aware. Of special moment is its attractive dark green color which is maintained throughout most of the growing season, in combination with excel- ,lent resistance to stripe smut disease incited by the fungus Ustilago striiformis. The new variety exhibits good to excellent resistance to powdery mildew disease caused by the fungus Erysiphe graminis and to leaf rust disease caused by the fungus Puccim'a poae-nemoralis. The variety is highly apomictic and has a leafy turf-type growth habit tolerant of moderately close mowing.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a new and distinct bluegrass plant having the desirable characteristics referred to above and to be described in detail below.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrations, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the new variety approximately one week before the flowering stage;

4 United States Patent 0 Plant Pat 3,151 Patented May 2, 1972 FIG. 2- shows a plant of the new variety under different lighting conditions after the completion of the flowering stage; and

FIG. 3 shows a panicle of the new variety about four weeks after the completion of the flowering stage.

NJE P-29 Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is perennial with creeping rhizomes forming a dense, moderately compact turf. The variety possesses the following unique combination of characteristics.

(1) Excellent resistance to stripe smut disease;

(2) Excellent resistance to powdery mildew disease;

(3) Very good resistance to leaf rust disease;

(4) A leafy turf-type growth habit tolerant of moderately close mowing;

(5) Moderately good resistance to leaf spot and crown rot disease;

(6) An attractive, rich, dark green color which is maintained throughout most of the growing season;

(7) Very good rhizome and tiller development, producing a turf of excellent density, very good horizontal spreading ability, high performance and excellent persistence;

(8) Moderately fine leaf texture;

(9) Moderately small panicles and spikelets; and

(10) A short ligule without hair.

PLANT DESCRIPTION The culms of NJE P-29 are moderately erect but are generally bent at the lower nodes. The culms are tufted, moderately slender, cylindrical, smooth and glossy, usually have 4to 5 nodes, and average 64 cm. in height when undisturbed by mowing. The leaves are dark green; sheaths smooth and hairless with those on the vegetative shoots compressed and keeled; ligules membraneous, without hair and very short on vegetative tillers but about 0.6 to 0.9 mm. long on reproductive tillers; edge of collar fringed with fine hairs; blades 3 to 4 mm. wide, initially folded but subsequently opening out with a boat-shaped tip. Panicles pyramidal, open, with main axis fairly erect and averaging 88 mm. long; lower branches mostly in clusters of 3 to 5 (average 3.9). Spikelets ovate, compressed, usually 4 to 5 mm. long (average 4.5 mm.), threeflowered, breaking up at maturity beneath each lemma. Glumes persistent, unequal, rough on the keels; lower ovate 2.1 to 2.8 mm. long (average 2.5 mm), 1-3 nerved; upper ovate to elliptic, 2.6 to 3.2 mm. long (average 2.9 mm.), 3-nerved. Lemmas five-nerved, overlapping oblong or ovate-oblong in side view averaging 2.96 mm. long, blunt and slightly pointed, having a purplish tinge near the edges, fine hairs on the keel and marginal nerves of the I lower half of the lemma with longer fine crinkled hairs TABLE 1.-M RPHOLO GICAL COMPARISON OF NJE P-20 AND OTHER BLUE GRASS VARIETIES Leaf Flag Number of Plant Plant blade Hairs on Hairs leaf No of Panicle branches at Panicle I height, diameter, width, edge of on length, pnnicles Panicle erect; or lowest panilength, Variety cm. cm mm. collar 1 ligule 1 mm. per plant color 8 nodding icle node mm.

NJE P 64 32 3. 0 2. 5 (l0 55 252 2. 5 2.0 3. 9 88 eltfl 73 17 2. 6 l. 5 '0. 0 67 196 2. 0 1. 0 4. 8 100 Genry 24 2.9 2.0 0.0 80 177 3.0 3.0 4.0 134 Newport 70 30 4. 8 3. 7 3. 7 77 246 2. 5 2.0 4. 3 105 Palouse 70 24 3.0 1.0 0.0 93 151 3.0 3. 5 4. 4 92 Anheuser DwarL 67 30 5.1 2. 5 2. 0 51 109 3.0 2. 5 3. 4 96 Belturf 70 3. 0 2.0 1.0 58 201 2.0 2. 0 4. 0 104 Flyking (Patent 2,887), 60 34 4.0 1. 5 1.5 68 164 3. 5 5.0 4. 9 118 Mei-ion 70 24 4. 3 3. 5 0.5 69 280 2. 0 1. 5 3. 5 102 Pcnnstar 59 34 3. 7 2. 2 1. 0 66 132 3. 5 4. 0 4. o 106 1 Scale: 0=no hairs; 5=most hairs. 2 Scale: =grccn; 5: purple. 3 Scale: 1=ercct; 6=nodding.

DISEASE RESISTANCE 'i.\ HLE 5.-llICLA'l.IVlG COMPARISON OF LEAF SPO'I.

A comparison of NJE P-29 and other bluegrnsscs for resistance to stripe smut caused -by the fungus Usrilago striifOrmis, powdery mildew caused by the fungus Erysip/zc graminis, leaf rust caused by the fungus Puccinia poacnemoralis, and leaf spot caused by the fungus Helminlliospurium vagans is given in the following tables:

Stripe smut infected Stripe smut tillers pcr sq. ft.

reaction Variety l (19 96 1 3 9 2 Anheuser D wart. 0 1 Fylking."- 0 3 Pennstar. 0 2 Boltull' 0 5 1 Scale: 1 =most resistant; 8=least resistant.

TABLE 3 Relative comparison of powdery mildew disease resistance for NJE P-29 and other bluegrasses under greenhouse conditions at new Brunswick, NJ.

Variety: Mildew rating 1 NJE P-29' 0.9 Merion 6.9 Windsor 2.5 Fylking 3.9 Pennstar 4.2 Belturf 4.3

'1 Scale: 0:110 disease; E):ui0st disease.

TABLE 4 Relative comparison of leaf rust disease resistance for NJE P-29 and other bluegrasses at New Brunswick, NJ. in 1970 Variety: Rust disease rating 1 .NJE P-29 0.6

' Merion 3.5 Delta 1.5 .AnheuserDwarf 0.6 Fylking 1.5 Pennstar 1.5 Belturf 1.5 Newport 3.5 Geary 3.0

1 Scale: 0.: no rust; 9=most diseases.

Percent leaf spot damage The tests summarized in the foregoing tables show that NJE P-29 has excellent resistance to stripe smut, good to excellent resistance to powdery mildew and leaf rust, and moderately good resistance to leaf spot.

REPRODUCTION AND PROPAGATION Asexual reproduction of NJE P-29 by propagules (tillers and rhizomes) and by disseminules (modified caropses produced by agamospermy) has consistentlyproduced progency plants indistinguishable from the mother plant. The new variety is highly aggressive, as illustrated by Table 6:

TABLE e-noonassrvmmss OF VARIOUS BLUEGRASS VARIETIES AS MEASURED BY THEIR ABILITY 'TO SPREAD UNDER CONDITIONS OF CLOSE MOWING AND COMPETITION FROM OTHER BLUGRASSES.

Amount of lncroachmcnt :lnto

adjacent bluegrass varieties inche Varietv (1965) (1966) NJ E P-20 +18. 0 +10. 5 Pennstar. +2. 5 +4. 0 Fylking +2. 5 +3. 0 Anhieuser Dwarl +2. 0 +3. 0

No references cited.

ROBERT E. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner

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