Monday, November 13, 2006 - 9:30 AM
69-6
Field Evaluation of Roundup Ready Kentucky Bluegrass.
Christopher Blume, Iowa State University, Department of Horticulture, 106 Horticulture Bldg., Ames, IA 50011, Nick Christians, Dept. Hort., 133 Horticulture Bldg, Iowa State University, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States of America, and Shui-Zhang Fei, 257 Horticulture Hall, Iowa State University, Iowa State University, Department of Horticulture, Ames, IA 50011.
Roundup Ready ® Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (RRKB) was recently developed by The Scotts Company and Monsanto. There has been no comparative analysis done with the new transgenic lines of Kentucky bluegrass versus the commercially available varieties, or tissue culture regenerants to determine vegetative and flower character similarities and differences. The study measured the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of the transgenic lines, tissue culture regenerants, and commercial varieties within the same environment in order to evaluate each variety’s aggressiveness. The studies were conducted in both a non-mown, non-competitive (spaced plant) and mown, competitive setting (plugs of tested Kentucky bluegrass overseeded with red fescue, Festuca rubra). The experimental hypothesis was that the newly developed transgenic lines would be equally or less aggressive than the commercial varieties. Data suggested that the transgenic lines were no more aggressive than those of the tissue culture regenerants and commercial varieties.