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a Dep of Plant Biology and Pathology, New Jersey Agric. Exp. St., Cook College, Rutgers Univ., 59 Dudley Rd., Foran Hall, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
b P.O. Box 888, 33149 Hwy 99E Tangent, OR 97389
* Corresponding author (bonos{at}aesop.rutgers.edu)
Langara Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (Reg. no. CV-83, PI 614776) is a turf-type cultivar released in August 1999 by Pickseed West, Inc., Tangent, OR. Langara was developed from germplasm obtained from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. The experimental designation of Langara was H94-301.
Langara Kentucky bluegrass originated as a single, highly apomictic plant selected from the open-pollinated progeny of C-74. C-74 is a vigorous, apomictic plant that originated from a plant collected from an old turf area in Exeter, RI, in 1987. C-74 is similar in appearance and performance to ‘Unique’ Kentucky bluegrass (Rose-Fricker et al., 1999).
A plant of C-74 was open-pollinated by 66 other Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections during the late winter of 1991 to 1992 in a greenhouse located on the Cook College campus of Rutgers University. These included typical plants of ‘Princeton P-105’ (Hurley et al., 2000), ‘Rita’, ‘SR-2109’, ‘America’ (Funk et al., 1982), ‘Wabash’, and ‘Belturf’. The remainder of the plants were selections collected from old turf areas in the eastern U.S.A. Four plants of P. ampla Merr. and P. ampla Merr. x P. pratensis L. were also included in the open-pollinated crossing block. 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 C-74 female parent was harvested in the spring of 1992. Seedlings were grown in the greenhouse in the winter of 1992 to 1993 and 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 of 1994, an attractive F1 hybrid plant designated 93-864-6 was harvested from this nursery. Seed from this plant was used to establish a turf plot at North Brunswick, NJ, in August 1994 with the designation H94-301. A spaced-plant progeny test was established in 1996 to evaluate the level of apomictic reproduction, produce seed for evaluation in turfgrass trials at North Brunswick and Adelphia, NJ, from 1996 through 1998, and produce Breeder seed. Breeder seed was sent to Tangent, OR, to establish an experimental Foundation seed increase field in 1997. The first Certified seed was harvested in August 1999.
Langara is a stable and uniform variety. Tests in New Jersey and Oregon have shown it to be greater than 95% apomictic. The 5% off-type plants are small and weak and do not detract significantly from the variety. Langara is a turf type Kentucky bluegrass with an attractive, medium dark-green color and low growth habit. It has performed well in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program in most areas of Kentucky bluegrass adaptation in the U.S.A. (Morris, 2003). Langara produces a turf with fine leaves and high shoot density. It has shown good resistance to leaf spot and melting out [caused by Drechslera poae (Baudys) Shoem.] (Morris, 2003), powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe graminis DC.) (Bonos et al., 2001b), stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis Pers.:Pers. subsp. graminicola Urban) (Morris, 2003), and stripe smut [caused by Ustilago striiformis (Westend.) Niessl] (Bonos et al., 2001a). Langara exhibits good winter appearance and spring green up (Bonos et al., 2001a) and average color during winter months (Morris, 2003). Langara has shown acceptable performance under simulated fairway conditions in New Jersey, which included a cutting height of 1.7 cm, traffic stress, and Poa annua L. competition (Morris, 2003)
Langara is compatible in blends with most other Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and in mixtures with turf-type perennial ryegrasses (Lolium perenne L.), strong creeping red fescues (Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra), and turf-type tall fescues (F. arundinacea Schreb.). It is recommended for turfs in regions where Kentucky bluegrass is well adapted.
Breeder seed is maintained by Pickseed West, Inc. with the cooperation of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Seed propagation is restricted to three generations of increase, Breeder, Foundation, and Certified. Application (no. 200000319) has been made for U.S. Plant Variety Protection.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Appreciation is expressed to William K. Dickson, Joseph Clark, George Zieminski, Mike Reynolds, Dirk Smith, Melissa Mohr, and participants involved in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program for their assistance.
NOTES
Publication no. D–12180-13-03. 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 the New Jersey Turfgrass Association. Registration by CSSA.
Accepted for publication July 31, 2004.
REFERENCES
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