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REGISTRATION OF CULTIVARS

Registration of ‘Caliber’ Kentucky Bluegrass

^a Simplot/Jacklin Seed, West 5300 Riverbend Ave., Post Falls, ID 83854-9499
^b New Jersey Agric. Exp. Stn., Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ

* Corresponding author (dbrede{at}simplot.com)

‘Caliber’ Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (Reg. no. CV-62, PI 595097) is a turf-type cultivar released August 1995 by Simplot/Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, ID, from germplasm obtained from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Caliber was tested under the experimental designations H86-335 and J-335. Caliber originated as a highly apomictic, single-plant selection from the open-pollinated progeny of ‘Julia’ (PI 601258) (Alderson and Sharp, 1994). In late winter of 1985, plants of Julia were removed from field nurseries in New Brunswick, NJ, and placed under greenhouse conditions favorable to sexual reproduction of apomictic Kentucky bluegrasses (Bashaw and Funk, 1987; Hintzen and van Wijk, 1985; Pepin and Funk, 1971). Pollen was supplied by several selected pollen parents in an open-pollinated arrangement: ‘Belturf,’ ‘Baron,’ ‘Sydsport,’ 85-1193 (New Jersey roadside selection), 85-1162 (‘Brunswick’/Baron hybrid), 85-949 (‘A-20’/‘Blacksburg’ hybrid), 85-1088 (open pollinated ‘A-25’ hybrid), 85-1047 (‘Touchdown’ hybrid), 85-3002 (selection from old turf in Alabama), 85-3660 (A20-6A/‘Victa’ hybrid), and 85-3721 (selection from an old turf in Tennessee) (Alderson and Sharp, 1994). Seeds from the maternal parent plant were grown and transferred to a spaced-plant field nursery at Adelphia, NJ, in September 1985. An attractive, vigorous plant was selected and harvested from this progeny nursery in June 1986 and established in a single-replicate turf trial at North Brunswick, NJ, in August 1986.

In May 1987, entry H86-335 was selected from the 1986 turf trial based on favorable turf quality. Vegetative tillers were removed from the plot and grown in a greenhouse and a spaced-plant field nursery at Post Falls. Variant and off-type plants were rogued from this nursery prior to harvest, removing approximately 10% of the population. Seed harvested from the nursery in July 1989 was used to plant turf plots in Idaho, replicated seed yield trials in Washington and Idaho, a spaced-plant Breeder seed nursery, and a 0.05-ha test production block. Seed harvested from the test production block was entered into the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Kentucky bluegrass trial of 1990, in both the low and medium/high maintenance tests (Morris, 1996a, b). Caliber tended to perform better at lower levels of maintenance: Cutting heights from 53 to 64 mm and nitrogen fertilization rates from 5 to 10 g m^-2 yr^-1.

Spaced-plant progeny trials in a field nursery at Adelphia indicated a high level of apomictic reproduction and medium-high seed yield potential. Caliber is a facultative apomict with approximately 90% of its progeny appearing genetically identical to the maternal parent. Aberrant progeny are rogued from seedstock fields to ensure continued uniformity and stability, but they will continue to occur in every cycle of seed increase.

Caliber is recommended for lawns, golf courses, parks, and sports turf in areas where Kentucky bluegrass is well adapted for turf. It can be grown in full sun or some shade. Caliber is compatible in blends and mixtures with other cool-season turfgrasses.

Breeder seed, first harvested in 1992, is maintained by Simplot/Jacklin Seed. Seed propagation is limited to one generation of increase for Foundation, Registered, and Certified seed. U.S. PVP application no. 9600275 has been filed for Caliber.

NOTES

Registration by CSSA.

Accepted for publication September 30, 2001.

REFERENCES

• Alderson, J., and W.C. Sharp. 1994. Grass varieties in the United States. USDA SCS Agric. Handbook 170. U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.
• Bashaw, E.C., and C.R. Funk. 1987. Apomictic grasses. p. 40–82. In W.R. Fehr (ed.) Principles of cultivar development. Vol. 2. Macmillan Publ. Co., New York.
• Hintzen, J.J., and A.J.P. van Wijk. 1985. Ecotype breeding and hybridization in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). p. 213–219. In F. Lemaire (ed.) Proc. 5th International Turfgrass Res. Conf. Avignon, France. 1–5 July 1985. INRA Publ., Versailles, France.
• Morris, K.N. 1996a. National Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance test 1991–95 final report. NTEP No. 96-12. USDA AES, Beltsville, MD.
• Morris, K.N. 1996b. National Kentucky bluegrass medium-high maintenance test 1991–95 final report. NTEP No. 96-11. USDA AES, Beltsville, MD.
• Pepin, G.W., and C.R. Funk. 1971. Intraspecific hybridization as a method of breeding Kentucky bluegrass for turf. Crop Sci. 11:445– 448.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brede, A. D. Articles by Funk, C.R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Brede, A. D. Articles by Funk, C.R. Agricola Articles by Brede, A. D. Articles by Funk, C.R.