HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) 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 Kenworthy, K. E. Articles by Ryan, D. L. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kenworthy, K. E. Articles by Ryan, D. L.

CULTIVARS

Registration of ‘Tech Turf I’ Buffalograss

^a Agronomy Dep., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
^b Plant and Soil Science Dep., Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX 79409
^c Dep. of Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State Univ., Nacogdoches, TX 75962
^d Monsanto Company, St. Louis Park, MN 55426
^e Frontier Hybrids, Inc., Abernathy, TX 79311

^* Corresponding author (kenworth{at}ufl.edu).

‘Tech Turf I’ buffalograss [Buchloë dactyloides (Nutt) Engelm.] (Reg. No. CV-250, PI 635043) was developed through joint efforts between Texas Tech University and Frontier Hybrids, Inc., Abernathy, TX. It was released by Texas Tech University in 2004. Tech Turf I was tested under the designation FH-8 and Frontier Turfallo.

Tech Turf I is a seed propagated, turf-type buffalograss variety derived from a heterogenous accession, having both male and female plants, collected from La Feria, Texas in 1990. The original collection consisting of 13 accessions (FH-1 to FH-13) was vegetatively propagated in Abernathy, Texas. In 1993, Texas Tech University received vegetative plugs of these accessions. Each accession (plug) contained both male and female plants. Individual plants within an accession were divided and increased in a greenhouse. During the spring of 1994, the accessions were screened for growth habit, leaf texture, and color under field conditions. Plants representing FH-8 proved superior to other accessions and in August of 1994, all FH-8 plants were planted in a polycross on the Texas Tech University campus. Single plants were evaluated for persistence, drought tolerance, and turf characteristics through 1998. Seed was bulk harvested from plants that survived in the polycross and had desirable turf characteristics.

Tech Turf I is a dioecious, diploid with a somatic chromosome number of 20. AFLP analyses showed Tech Turf I to be genetically distinct from ‘Texoka’, ‘Topgun’, ‘Bison’ (Taliaferro, 1994), and ‘UCLH-1’ (Wright and Kebede, unpublished data, 2005). It is a fine-textured grass appropriate for use as a turf. Its rapid stolon growth results in quick establishment from seed (Morris, 2003). Tech Turf I is comparable in quality to Bison (Taliaferro, 1994) and ‘Bowie’ (Severmutlu et al., 2005), both seeded cultivars, in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Density of Tech Turf I was comparable or better than Bison and Bowie in Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas (Morris, 2005). It has a medium green color which remains well into fall, delaying dormancy. During spring it is slower to achieve adequate green cover than most cultivars. Delayed fall dormancy and spring greenup (Morris, 2005) may contribute to the poor performance of Tech Turf I in Kansas and Nebraska.

Tech Turf 1, like other buffalograss cultivars, has reduced water requirements due to biological mechanisms; it is recommended for use where low- to medium-maintenance turfgrass is desired (Beard and King, 1989). Tech Turf I appears to be well adapted to semiarid, temperate climates of the U.S., western regions of Plant Hardiness Zones 5, and central and western regions of Plant Hardiness Zones 6 to 10.

A breeder's increase block was established on the Texas Tech campus in August 1999. Breeder seed was initially harvested from this block in August 2000. Seed and plugs are available through Frontier Hybrids, Inc., Abernathy, TX. U.S. Plant Variety Protection of Tech Turf I has been filed (PVP Application No. 200400229). Seed of Tech Turf I is deposited in the National Plant Germplasm System where it will be available after the expiry of the Plant Variety Protection for research purposes, including development and commercialization of new cultivars. It is requested that appropriate recognition be made if this germplasm contributes to the development of new germplasm or cultivars.

Footnotes

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.

Received for publication December 13, 2006.

References

• Beard, J.B., and K.S. King. 1989. Low-water use turfgrasses. USGA Green Section Record 27:12–13.
• Morris, K.N. 2003. National Buffalograss Test-2002. NTEP 2002–03 Data Progress Report No. 04–3. National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. USDA-ARS. Beltsville, MD.
• Morris, K.N. 2005. National Buffalograss Test-2002. NTEP 2005 Data Progress Report No. 06–6. National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. USDA-ARS. Beltsville, MD.
• Severmutlu, S., C. Rodgers, T.P. Riordan, and R.C. Shearman. 2005. Registration of ‘Bowie’ buffalograss. Crop Sci. 45:2113–2115.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
• Taliaferro, C.M. 1994. Registration of ‘Bison’ buffalograss. Crop Sci. 34:304–305.[Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) 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 Kenworthy, K. E. Articles by Ryan, D. L. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kenworthy, K. E. Articles by Ryan, D. L.