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a Dep. of Plant Biology and Pathology, New Jersey Agric. Exp. Stn. Cook College, Rutgers Univ. 59 Dudley Rd., Foran Hall, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
b Lebanon Seaboard, P.O. Box 10, Huntsville, UT 84317
* Corresponding author (bonos{at}aesop.rutgers.edu)
‘Cabernet’ Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (Reg. no. CV-76, PI 631179) is a turf-type cultivar released in September 2001 by Lebanon Seaboard, Lebanon, PA. Cabernet was developed from germplasm obtained from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). The experimental designations of Cabernet were H94-329 and LTP-329.
Cabernet Kentucky bluegrass originated as a single, 95% apomictic plant selected from the polycross progeny of RSP. RSP is a vigorous, facultatively apomictic plant collected from an old turf in Riverside Park, Baltimore, MD. RSP is a mid-Atlantic ecotype with excellent summer stress tolerance but moderate susceptibility to leaf spot disease [caused by Drechslera poae (Baudys) Shoemaker] in cloudy wet spring weather (Murphy et al., 1997).
A plant of RSP was pollinated by plants of ‘Princeton P-105’ (Hurley et al., 2000), ‘Rita’, a component of ‘Unique’ (Rose-Fricker et al., 1999) designated as C-74, and plants collected from old turfs of the eastern USA. Four plants each of Poa ampla L. and P. ampla x P. pratensis were also included in a greenhouse pot polycross (Funk and Duell, 1976) consisting of 153 plants. Daily repositioning of each plant during the 7- to 10-d pollination period is equivalent to 7 to 10 replications of a field polycross for each replication of potted plants. The cross was made during the late winter of 1991 to 1992 in a greenhouse located on the Cook College campus of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Environmental conditions before and during pollination were modified to increase sexual reproduction of facultatively apomictic Kentucky bluegrasses (Bashaw and Funk, 1987; Hintzen and van Wijk, 1985; Pepin and Funk, 1971). Seed from the RSP female parent was harvested in the spring of 1992. Seedlings were grown in the greenhouse in the winter of 1992 to 1993 under cool, short daylength conditions. Promising hybrids were phenotypically identified. Selected hybrid plants were established in a spaced-plant nursery at the Rutgers University Plant Biology and Pathology Research and Extension Farm at Adelphia, NJ, during the spring of 1993. In June 1994, an attractive F1 hybrid plant designated as 93-1002-11 was harvested from this nursery. Seed from this plant was planted in a turf trial at North Brunswick, NJ, in September 1994 and designated H94-329. This turf trial was located in a field with severely restricted air movement resulting in conditions of excess summer heat stress. This turf trial was evaluated over 36 times during the 4 yr following establishment. The trial was evaluated for characteristics such as seedling vigor, establishment, turf quality, density, leaf spot disease [caused by Drechslera poae (Baudys) Shoemaker], drought tolerance, and heat tolerance. H94-329 was selected on the basis of these evaluations. Tillers were taken from this turf plot and used to establish a spaced-plant nursery containing 24 plants. Seed harvested from these plants was evaluated for apomixis, used to establish replicated turf trials, and sent to Lebanon Seaboard in Oregon for further evaluation of seed yield and commercial potential. A 0.4-ha Breeder seed nursery was established near Imbler, OR, in 1998. An experimental Foundation seed field was established in 1999. The first Certified seed was harvested in 2001.
Cabernet has a medium-low growth habit, medium-fine leaf width, bright, medium-dark-green color, medium shoot density, and acceptable turf quality (Morris, 2003). Cabernet performed well in most areas where Kentucky bluegrass is used in the USA. Cabernet exhibited moderate leaf spot resistance (Morris, 2003), which was a meaningful improvement compared to its maternal parent, RSP (Bonos et al., 2001). Cabernet exhibited very good resistance to necrotic ring spot [caused by Ophiosphaerella korrae (J.C. Walker & A.M. Smith) R.A. Shoemaker (=Leptosphaeria korrae J.C. Walker & A.M. Smith)] (Morris, 2003). Cabernet also showed good tolerance to drought stress in Wyoming (Morris, 2003).
Cabernet was developed for turf uses including lawns, athletic fields, and recreation areas. It should perform well in regions where Kentucky bluegrass is adapted, as a monostand or in blends with other Kentucky bluegrass cultivars. Cabernet performed well under simulated fairway conditions in New Jersey, which included a cutting height of 1.74 cm, traffic stress, and Poa annua L. competition (Morris, 2003). This suggests potential successful use of Cabernet on athletic fields. Monthly quality ratings during the 2002 growing season, under simulated fairway conditions in New Jersey, revealed that Cabernet exhibited improved relative performance during high temperature stress (Morris, 2003). This indicates that Cabernet has good summer stress performance similar to its maternal parent RSP. Cabernet Kentucky bluegrass may also be used in mixtures with improved turf-type perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), fine-leafed fescues (Festuca spp.), and improved turf-type tall fescues (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.).
Lebanon Seaboard maintains Breeder seed of Cabernet. Seed production is limited to two generations of increase from Breeder seed: one each of Foundation and Certified. Application has been made for U.S. Plant Variety Protection (Application no. 200200155).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Appreciation is expressed to William K. Dickson, Joseph Clark, Raymond Schaaf, George Ziemienski, Michael Reynolds, Dirk Smith, Melissa Mohr, Barbara Smith and participants in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program for their assistance.
NOTES
Publication no. D–12180-10-03. Some of this work was conducted as part of the NJAES Project no. 12180, supported by NJAES funds, other grants and gifts. Additional support was received from the U.S. Golf Association-Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Research Fund, and New Jersey Turfgrass Association. Registration by CSSA.
Accepted for publication December 31, 2003.
REFERENCES
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