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Simplot/Jacklin Seed, West 5300 Riverbend Ave., Post Falls, ID 83854-9499
* Corresponding author. (dbrede{at}simplot.com)
‘Chicago’ Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (Reg. no. CV-63, PI 618721) is a turf-type cultivar released in October 1997 by Simplot/Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, ID. The experimental designations for Chicago were 91-2582 and J-2582.
Chicago originated as a highly apomictic, single-plant selection from hybrid cross number 89-1075, made in the field in Post Falls in July 1989. Plants of ‘Huntsville’ (PI 531526) (Jacklin et al., 1989) were open-pollinated with plants of 20 commercial cultivars. Seed harvested from the Huntsville mother plants were individually sown into cells of greenhouse flats during the spring of 1990 and later transplanted to a field nursery of 33000 plants. Offspring with characteristics dissimilar to Huntsville were flagged during maturation in the spring of 1991. Plant number 91-2582 was identified as being unique from Huntsville based on its vegetative plant characteristics prior to seedhead expression. Chicago is most similar to ‘NuGlade’ (PI 599221) (Brede, 2001) but can be differentiated by greater flag leaf blade and sheath length, wider flag leaf, and earlier reproductive maturity.
Spaced-plant progeny evaluations were established May 1995 to determine the level of apomixis. A survey of 2266 plants of Chicago showed that 7.4% of plants were variants in the vegetative (pre-flowering) stage, 2.8% were heading maturity variants, 0.1% seedhead variants, and 0.8% were miniature plants. The predominant variant is a slightly taller growing, yellow-headed plant with very little purpling. Panicles of the majority of Chicago plants are light green in color at anthesis, with a uniform light purplish tinge. Approximately 1% of plants are a tall "common-type" variant, averaging 74 cm in culm length. The mean level of apomixis is 88%, but varies from 85 to 95% and above, depending upon growing conditions. Aberrant progeny are rogued from seedstock fields to insure continued uniformity and stability, but they will continue to occur in every generation.
Chicago ranked twenty-ninth out of 103 entries for turf quality in the 1995 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trials for Kentucky bluegrass (Morris, 2000). Chicago ranked first in Oklahoma at a mowing height of 40 to 50 mm. Chicago showed improved resistance to leaf rust (caused by Puccinia coronata Corda var. coronata), stem rust (caused by P. graminis Pers.:Pers.), dollar spot (caused by Lanzia Sacc. or Moellerodiscus Henn.), and billbug (Sphenophorus spp.). In 5 yr of commercial seed production, Chicago has produced moderate yields of quality seed, with relative freedom from ergot [caused by Claviceps purpurea (Fr.:Fr.) Tul.], and no adverse reactions to labeled Kentucky bluegrass pesticides.
Chicago is recommended for golf courses, lawns, parks, roadsides, and sports turf, in full sun or some shade, in areas where Kentucky bluegrass is well adapted for turf. It is compatible in blends and mixtures with other cool-season turfgrasses.
Breeder seed, first harvested in 1996, is maintained by Simplot/Jacklin Seed. Seed propagation is limited to one generation of increase for Foundation, Registered, and Certified seed. U.S. Plant Variety Protection has not been requested.
NOTES
Accepted for publication September 30, 2001.
REFERENCES
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