Diversity of USDA Accessions of Koeleria macrantha for Use in a Turfgrass Breeding Program.

Prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha Ledeb.) is a perennial, short-grass prairie species distributed throughout the Northern hemisphere. Until recently, the species has received little attention as a low-input turfgrass. Available varieties have been developed from European germplasm and represent ecotypes different from the breeding populations currently in development derived from germplasm collected in the US Midwest. The USDA germplasm in this study includes accessions from North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In June 2007, 48 accessions were grown and evaluated for seed production and turfgrass characteristics in two separate studies. A complete randomized block design was used with 5 replications grown in 2 locations (St. Paul, MN and Becker, MN). Koeleria macrantha generally requires vernalization to induce flowering in June. In the present study, 19 accessions exhibited fall flowering at the Becker location in October 2007. Yearly turf quality means for each accession showed no significant difference (p>.001) between sites. Further data indicate that the diverse natural range of this species provides the breeder with a broad genetic base from which to select traits including turf quality, color, density, mowability, growth habit, drought tolerance, disease resistance, and seed production. This species is known to require fewer inputs than other cool-season turfgrasses and it demonstrates tolerance to many environmental stresses found in Minnesota. The genetic improvement of prairie junegrass into top-performing turfgrass varieties should reduce water, fertilizer, and pesticide inputs resulting in environmental benefits and reduced costs.