Divergence in Life-History and Developmental Traits in Silvery-Thread Moss (Bryum argenteum Hedw.) Genotypes between Golf Course Putting Greens and Native Habitats

Weed Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 642-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zane Raudenbush ◽  
Joshua L. Greenwood ◽  
D. Nicholas McLetchie ◽  
Sarah M. Eppley ◽  
Steven J. Keeley ◽  
...  

AbstractSilvery-Thread Moss (Bryum argenteum Hedw.) is an undesirable invader of golf course putting greens across North America, establishing colonies and proliferating despite practices to suppress it. The goal was to grow genotypes of green (growing in putting greens) and native (growing in habitats outside of putting greens) B. argenteum in a common garden experiment, allowing an experimental test of life-history traits between genotypes from these two habitats. Seventeen collections of green and 17 collections of native B. argenteum were cloned to single genotypes and raised through a minimum of two asexual generations in the lab. A culture of each genotype was initiated using a single detached shoot apex and was allowed to grow for 6 mo under conditions of inorganic nutrients present and absent. Compared with genotypes from native habitats, genotypes of B. argenteum from putting greens exhibited earlier shoot regeneration and shoot induction, faster protonemal extension, longer (higher) shoots, lower production of gemmae and bulbils, and greater aerial rhizoid cover, and showed similar tendencies of chlorophyll fluorescence properties and chlorophyll content. Cultures receiving no inorganic nutrients produced less chlorophyll content, greatly reduced growth, and bleaching of shoots. Mosses from putting greens establish more quickly, grow faster, produce more abundant rhizoids, and yet do not produce as many specialized asexual propagules compared with mosses of the same species from native habitats. The highly managed putting green environment has either selected for a suite of traits that allow the moss to effectively compete with grasses, or genotypic diversity is very high in this species, allowing a set of specialized genotypes to colonize the putting green from native habitats. Successful golf course weeds have been able to adapt to this highly competitive environment by selection acting on traits or genotypes to produce plants more successful in competing with golf course grasses.

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Fidanza ◽  
P.F. Colbaugh ◽  
M.C. Engelke ◽  
S.D. Davis ◽  
K.E. Kenworthy

Fairy ring is a common and troublesome disease of turfgrasses maintained on golf course putting greens. Type-I fairy ring is especially destructive due to the development of hydrophobic conditions in the thatch and root zone, thus contributing to turfgrass injury and loss. The objective of this 2-year field study was to evaluate the application and novel delivery method of two fungicides and a soil surfactant for curative control of type-I fairy ring in a 20-year-old creeping bentgrass [Agrostis palustris (synonym A. stolonifera)] putting green. In both years, all treatments were applied twice on a 28-day interval. In 1998, flutolanil and azoxystrobin fungicides were applied alone and in combination with Primer soil surfactant by a conventional topical spray method, and fungicides without Primer applied via high-pressure injection (HPI). Acceptable type-I fairy ring control was observed in plots treated with flutolanil plus Primer, HPI flutolanil, azoxystrobin alone, azoxystrobin plus Primer, or HPI azoxystrobin. In 1999, treatments were HPI flutolanil, HPI flutolanil plus Primer, HPI azoxystrobin, HPI water only, and aeration only. Acceptable type-I fairy ring control was observed in plots treated with HPI flutolanil plus Primer or HPI azoxystrobin. HPI of fungicides alone or in combination with a soil surfactant may be a viable option for alleviating type-I fairy ring symptoms on golf course putting greens.


HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-243
Author(s):  
Ruying Wang ◽  
James W. Hempfling ◽  
Bruce B. Clarke ◽  
James A. Murphy

Sand size can affect the ability to incorporate topdressing into the turf canopy and thatch on golf course putting greens; unincorporated sand interferes with mowing and play. This 3-year field trial was initiated to determine the effects of sand size on sand incorporation, surface wetness, and anthracnose (caused by Colletotrichum cereale Manns sensu lato Crouch, Clarke, and Hillman) of annual bluegrass [Poa annua L. f. reptans (Hausskn) T. Koyama] maintained as a putting green. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications; treatments included a non-topdressed control and three topdressing sands (medium-coarse, medium, or medium-fine) applied every 2 weeks at 0.15 L·m−2 during the summer. Topdressing with medium-coarse sand was more difficult to incorporate than the medium and medium-fine sands, resulting in a greater quantity of sand collected with mower clippings. Analyzing the particle distribution of sand removed by mowing confirmed that coarser sand particles were more likely to be removed in mower clippings. Surface wetness measured as volumetric water content (VWC) at the 0- to 38-mm depth zone was greater in non-topdressed plots than topdressed plots on 35% of observations. Few differences in VWC were found among sand size treatments. Turf responses to topdressing were not immediate; however, as sand accumulated in the turf canopy, topdressed plots typically had lower anthracnose severity than non-topdressed turf after the first year. Additionally, topdressing with medium and medium-fine sands produced similar or occasionally lower disease severity than topdressing with medium-coarse sand. The lack of negative effects of medium and medium-fine sands combined with better incorporation after topdressing and less disruption to the putting surface should allow golf course superintendents to apply topdressing at frequencies and/or quantities needed during the summer to maintain high-quality turf and playing conditions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Zane Raudenbush ◽  
Steven J. Keeley ◽  
Cole Thompson ◽  
Mithila Jugulam

Abstract Carfentrazone-ethyl is one of few herbicides labeled for control of silvery-thread moss (STM) in golf course putting greens, but common use rates are up to three times higher than for broadleaf weeds. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of a single postemergence application of carfentrazone-ethyl for STM control in greenhouse and field dose response studies. In the greenhouse, carfentrazone-ethyl was applied at 0, 14, 28, 56, 112, and 224 g ai ha−1 to pots containing established STM and creeping bentgrass. Percent gametophyte injury was visually estimated at 14, 28, 49, and 77 d after treatment (DAT). Shoot viability was determined by excising shoots from treated pots and plating them in petri dishes containing sand. The 28 and 49 DAT ED90 (dose required to cause 90% gametophyte injury) were 26.8 and 54.3 g ha−1, respectively; both of these doses are substantially lower than the label rates for long- and short-term control, respectively. All doses reduced the viability of transplanted shoots at 10 DAT compared to untreated STM; however, regrowth occurred in all petri dishes by 17 DAT. Field studies were initiated in Manhattan, Kansas and San Luis Obispo, California to corroborate greenhouse results. Averaged across locations, carfentrazone-ethyl applied at 56 and 112 g ha−1 caused 76% and 84% STM injury at 14 DAT, but quickly reduced to 45% and 48% STM injury by 28 DAT, respectively. In greenhouse and field studies, STM recovery did not occur until after 2 wk after treatment (WAT), which indicates the label-stipulated application interval of 2 wk is too short. Our research suggests 56 g ha−1 can provide similar burndown control of STM as compared to the highest label rate (112 g ha−1), and turfgrass managers should consider extending the reapplication interval to 3 or 4 wk when moss recovery is observed.


Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Zhang ◽  
Z. B. Nan ◽  
G. D. Liu

Hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) is widely used on golf course putting greens in southern China. In September 2011, circular pink patches ranging from 10 to 20 cm in diameter were observed on putting greens established with cv. ‘Tifgreen’ on a golf course in Haikou, Hainan Province. There were approximately 50 pink patches on a putting green. Infected leaves were covered with pink, gelatinous fungal mycelium, which resulted in the production of chlorotic lesions. Lesions expanded, became water-soaked, and leaves died basipetally. A pink fungus, characterized by the presence of clamp connections, was consistently isolated from leaves of infected plants on a potato dextrose agar amended with 0.01% gentamicin sulfate. Based on morphological characteristics, the fungus was preliminary identified as Limonomyces roseipellis Stalpers & Loerakker, the causal agent of pink patch of turfgrass (2,3). To verify the identity, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA was amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1 and ITS4. Comparison with sequences in the GenBank database revealed that the ITS sequence (Accession No. KC193592) showed 98% homology with the sequence of L. roseipellis (EU622846). For pathogenicity tests, inoculum was prepared by culturing the fungus on an autoclaved mixture of 100 g of rye grain and 20 ml water for 3 weeks at 25°C. Six-week-old C. dactylon plants in 10-cm pots were inoculated by placing 2 g of infested grain in the center of the turf canopy, or 2 g sterilized, uninfested grain as a control, with four replications of each treatment. After inoculation, pots were covered with translucent plastic bags and placed in a greenhouse at 24 ± 2°C with a 12-h photoperiod (1). After 3 weeks, more than 70% of leaves in the infested pots showed symptoms identical to those observed under natural conditions while control plants remained asymptomatic. The fungus was reisolated from symptomatic plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. roseipellis causing pink patch on hybrid bermudagrass in China. References: (1) L. L. Burpee and L. G. Goulty. Phytopathology 74:692, 1986. (2) J. D. Kaplan and N. Jackson. Plant Dis. 67:159, 1983. (3) J. A. Stalpers and W. M. Loerakker. Can. J. Bot. 60:529, 1982.


2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Q. Moss ◽  
Xi Xiong ◽  
Kemin Su ◽  
Bishow P. Poudel ◽  
John B. Haguewood

Annual bluegrass is a troublesome weed in golf course putting greens. The objective of this research was to evaluate creeping bentgrass putting green tolerance to bispyribac-sodium tank-mixed with paclobutrazol in the transition zone. Field trials with four replications were conducted in Oklahoma during 2009 and 2010 and in Missouri during 2010. The results of this study suggest that tank-mixing bispyribac-sodium with paclobutrazol may discolor creeping bentgrass putting greens but will not reduce turf quality below acceptable levels. Normalized vegetative difference index readings indicated no treatment differences in turf greenness at 4 and 8 wk after initial treatment. Weekly application of bispyribac-sodium at 12.4 g ha−1 or biweekly application at 24.8 g ha−1 alone or with monthly applications of paclobutrazol at 224 g ha−1 did not cause unacceptable injury to creeping bentgrass putting greens during the spring.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Paweł Petelewicz ◽  
Paweł M. Orliński ◽  
James H. Baird

Decreased stand uniformity together with reduced aesthetics and playability caused by annual bluegrass (Poa annua) intrusion in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) putting greens is one of the major problems that golf course superintendents face with managing newer playing surfaces. Few herbicides are registered for selective control of annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass greens, and the risk of herbicide resistance remains an issue, thus use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) is still the primary method of annual bluegrass suppression. This study was conducted to evaluate eight PGR treatments, employed as a series of 15 consecutive, biweekly applications to suppress annual bluegrass encroachment in ‘Pure Distinction’ creeping bentgrass maintained as a golf course putting green in Los Angeles, CA. Best annual bluegrass suppression was observed with products containing flurprimidol (FP) at 0.256 lb/acre, paclobutrazol (PB) at 0.119 lb/acre, or three-way mixture of FP, trinexapac-ethyl (TE), and PB (FP+PB+TE) at 0.055, 0.014, and 0.055 lb/acre, respectively. Although all treatments caused some significant creeping bentgrass injury, which increased over time, PB at 0.119 lb/acre and FP+PB+TE at 0.055, 0.014, and 0.055 lb/acre, respectively, appeared to be safest among effective treatments. Additionally, those treatments caused significantly darker green turf, which may be desirable on putting greens. This research confirms the potential of PGR use to limit annual bluegrass infestation on creeping bentgrass greens in a Mediterranean climate and reveals the most effective treatments that could be used in a putting green maintenance program.


HortScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-480
Author(s):  
Lakshmy Gopinath ◽  
Justin Quetone Moss ◽  
Yanqi Wu

The susceptibility of warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) to winter injury in the transition zone is a major concern. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate five golf course putting green-type experimental genotypes (OKC6318, OKC0805, OKC1609, OKC0920, and OKC3920) and three commercially available bermudagrasses (‘Champion Dwarf’, ‘TifEagle’, and ‘Tahoma 31’) for freeze tolerance by subjecting them to 11 freezing temperatures (–4 to –14 °C) under controlled environment conditions. The experiment was conducted in batches, with four genotypes per batch, and each batch was replicated in time. The mean lethal temperature to kill 50% of the population (LT50) for each genotype was determined. There were significant differences in LT50 values among the bermudagrass genotypes. ‘Champion Dwarf’ had an LT50 value ranging from –5.2 to –5.9 °C across all three batches. The experimental genotypes tested in this study had LT50 values ranging from –7.0 to –8.1 °C and were each lower than that of ‘Champion Dwarf’. ‘Tahoma 31’, the top performing genotype, had an LT50 value ranging from –7.8 to –9.0 °C across all three batches. OKC 3920 was the only experimental genotype with an LT50 value in the same statistical group as ‘Tahoma 31’. The information gained from this research would be useful for breeders to gauge the genetic gain in freeze tolerance in breeding golf course putting green-type bermudagrass.


2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P. Boesch ◽  
Nathaniel A. Mitkowski

Plant Disease ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 91 (7) ◽  
pp. 905-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Mitkowski

In the fall of 2006, a golf course in Snoqualmie, WA renovated five putting greens with commercially produced Poa annua L. sod from British Columbia, Canada. Prior to the renovation, the greens had been planted with Agrostis stolonifera L. cv. Providence, which was removed during the renovation. In February of 2007, chlorotic patches were observed on the newly established P. annua greens. When the roots were examined, extensive galling was observed throughout plant roots. Galls were slender and twisted in appearance and less than one millimeter long. Upon dissection of washed galls, hundreds of eggs were exuded into the surrounding water droplet and both mature male and female nematodes were observed. Further morphometric examination of males, females, and juvenile nematodes demonstrated that they were Subanguina radicicola (Greef 1872) Paramanov 1967 (1). Amplification of nematode 18S, ITS1, and 5.8S regions, using previously published primers (2), resulted in a 100% sequence match with the publicly available sequence for S. radicicola, GenBank Accession No. AF396366. Each P. annua plant had an average of six galls (with a range of 1 to 8), primarily located within the top 2 cm of the soil. All five new P. annua putting greens at the golf course were infested with the nematode. Additionally, P. annua from two A. stolonifera cv. Providence greens that had not been renovated was infected, suggesting that the population occurred onsite and was not imported from the Canadian sod. S. radicicola has been identified as causing severe damage in New Brunswick, Canada on P. annua putting greens and in wild P. annua in the northwestern United States, but to our knowledge, this is the first report of the nematode affecting P. annua on a golf course in the United States. References: (1) E. L. Krall. Wheat and grass nematodes: Anguina, Subanguina, and related genera. Pages 721–760 in: Manual of Agricultural Nematology. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1991. (2) N. A. Mitkowski et al. Plant Dis. 86:840, 2002.


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