Academic literature on the topic 'Agrostis stolonifera cv. Penn-A4'

In June of 2009, a golf course putting green sample of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) cv. Penn G-2 from a golf club in North Carolina was submitted to the Michigan State University Turfgrass Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for diagnosis. The sample exhibited symptoms of general wilt, decline, and characteristic necrosis from the leaf tips down. Fungal pathogens were ruled out when no phytopathogenic fungal structures were observed with microscopic examination of infected tissue. Symptoms appeared similar to those of annual bluegrass affected by bacterial wilt caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. poae. Bacterial streaming was present in all of the cut infected tissue of the Penn G-2 bentgrass sample when observed with a microscope. To isolate the causal agent, cut leaf tissue (1- to 3-mm tips) exhibiting bacterial streaming was surface disinfected for 1 min in 10% sodium hypochlorite solution and rinsed for 1 min with sterile distilled water. Leaf blades were placed into Eppendorf microtubes with 20 μl of sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution (pH 7) and macerated with a sterile scalpel. Serial dilutions up to 1 × 10–4 were performed in sterile PBS; 10 μl of each suspension was plated onto nutrient agar (NA) (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD) and incubated at room temperature for 5 days. Pure cultures of three commonly observed single bacterial colonies growing on plates from serial dilutions were made on NA medium. These pure cultures were grown for 5 days and used to inoculate three replicates of 5-week-old Penn G-2 plants that had uniformly filled in 8.5-cm-diameter pots grown under greenhouse conditions. Uninfected Penn G-2 creeping bentgrass plants were inoculated with 1 ml of 1.3 × 109 CFU/ml of bacterial suspension by adding drops of the suspension to blades of sterile scissors used to cut the healthy plants. Of the three different bacterial cultures selected to inoculate healthy plants, only one resulted in slight browning of leaf tips just 2 days after inoculation. The symptoms progressed, and by 5 days after inoculation, browning, twisting and leaf dieback to the sheath were observed. When leaf tips of the inoculated plants were cut, bacterial streaming was observed. Isolation of the bacterium from inoculated Penn G-2 plants was performed to fulfill Koch's postulates. Once isolated, a single bacterial colony was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing (Microcheck Inc. Northfield, VT). 16S rDNA sequencing results indicated that the causal agent of bacterial infection was a member of the Acidovorax genus, with a 100% sequence match to Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (2). The same nonflorescent, aerobic, gram-negative bacterium has been consistently isolated from inoculated plants exhibiting symptoms thus far. A member of the Acidovorax genus has also been identified as a pathogen of creeping bentgrass in Japan (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a bacterial disease affecting creeping bentgrass caused by Acidovorax spp. in the United States. References: (1) N. Furuya et al. J. Fac. Agric. Kyushu Univ. 54:13. 2009. (2) N. Schaad et al. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 31:434. 2008.

Waitea circinata Warcup and Talbot (also referred to as W. circinata var. circinata) is an important fungal pathogen of amenity turfgrasses and is especially problematic on Poa annua in putting greens in the late spring or early summer. The pathogen was first identified in 2005 from Japan and has since been seen widely throughout the United States (1,2). On occasion, the pathogen has been observed attacking creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) but is typically less virulent. Disease symptoms include prominent yellow rings appearing throughout established turf and moderate leaf necrosis. In the summer of 2012, moss from a section of fairway on a golf course in Edwards, CO was observed to be rapidly killed by a fungal pathogen producing copious amounts of aerial mycelium and appearing similar to Waitea microscopically. Aerial mycelium was transferred to acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA) (1 ml lactic/L). After 1 day at 25°C, mycelia were transferred to PDA. After 2 weeks, plates were covered with white aerial mycelium and separate, spherical, 0.5-mm diameter, salmon-colored sclerotia, which turned dark brown within a few days and were produced submerged throughout the media. Spores were never produced and right-angled branching of mycelia, characteristic of Waitea, was observed in mature cultures. Mycelial plugs were incubated in nutrient broth and DNA was extracted using a MoBio Power Plant DNA extraction kit. Amplification of ribosomal ITS sequences with ITS4 and ITS5 resulted in a 100% identity match with GenBank sequence HM807352, W. circinata var. circinta (3). To demonstrate pathogenicity on Bryum argenteum, unaffected moss from the submitted sample (identified as B. argenteum var. argenteum via 100% sequence identity with the published GenBank sequence GU907062) was removed from the originally submitted sample and placed in separate growth chambers at 95% humidity and 21, 26, and 31°C. An additional experiment employed local B. agenteum plants collected from the URI Kingston, RI campus. Agar plugs from the isolated W. circinata were placed on top of the moss and within 2 days the fungus had caused complete mortality at all three temperatures. The experiment was also undertaken using the same environmental conditions with 5-week-old annual bluegrass (P. annua) and creeping bentgrass cv. A4 grown from seed. Plants were inoculated with infected rye grains at 31, 26, and 21°C. After 1 week, the P. annua plants showed significant mortality at 26 and 31°C with little infection at 21°C and the A. stolonifera plants showed moderate mortality at 26°C and little infection at the other two temperatures. All experiments utilized an additional uninoculated control treatment that showed no moss/turf necrosis or mortality. Experiments were all repeated once and used three replicates per experiment. While moss is not intentionally cultivated on golf courses, it does occur with regularity and often presents itself as a difficult pest to manage. This particular isolate of W. circinata has identical ribosomal and physiological characteristics of the reported P. annua pathogen but can attack one moss species and may be a possible candidate for selective biological control of moss in golf course settings. It is unclear how widespread moss pathogenicity is within W. circinata. References: (1) E. N. Njambere et al. Plant Dis. 95:78 2011. (2) T. Toda et al. Plant Dis. 89:536, 2005. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications, 1990.

Limited information is available on the performance under temperate conditions in the United States of recently released cultivars of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) with high shoot density for use on golf course putting greens. Fifteen cultivars were established in Aug. 1996 on a greens mix with high sand content to compare their seasonal weights and total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) contents. The cultivars were maintained at 3.1 mm height of cut. Shoot density counts were taken during Apr., July, and Oct. 1998. Root weights and nonstructural carbohydrate levels were assessed monthly from June 1997 through Nov. 1998. A cultivar group contrast between the high shoot density cultivars (`Penn A1', `Penn A2', `Penn A4', `Penn G1', `Penn G2', and `Penn G6') and the standard cultivars (`Penncross', `Crenshaw', `Southshore', `DF-1', `Procup', `Lopez', `SR1020', and `Providence') revealed that the former averaged 342.9 and 216.1 more shoots/dm2 on two of the three sampling dates. Root dry weights did not vary significantly (P ≤ 0.05) among the cultivars. Performing a contrast between new high shoot density cultivars and standard cultivars revealed greater root dry weight in the former during Mar. and May 1998. Differences (P ≤ 0.05) in TNC were observed on two of the 18 sampling dates, but no trends were evident.

Mestrado em Engenharia Agronómica / Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Universidade de Lisboa
Peat is a very important growing media in the agricultural and ornamental sectors, on golf courses, among others, but its extraction has a high environmental impact. For this reason, it is necessary to find more economical, locally produced and more sustainable alternative materials.The objectives of this work were to study three organic amendments alternatives to peat; to evaluate the effect of their residual nitrogen in the plant growth and to identify possible existing weeds. The organic amendments tested were peat (PT, control), sewage sludge compost with pine bark (NA), organic green compost (NV) and cork “earth” (CE). The grasses studied were Lolium perenne L. and Agrostis stolonifera L.. To obtain the aerial biomass production, shoot harvesting was made weekly and the dry matter was weighted. Posterior macro- and micronutrient present in the biomass was evaluated. Regarding the rootzone mixtures, the organic matter content, pH, electrical conductivity and the exchangeable acidity were analyzed as well as the extractable macro and micronutrients, and the exchangeable bases. The results showed that the grasses that grew in the rootzone mixtures with NA had the higher aerial biomass production, comparing with peat, followed by the rootzone mixture with NV. These two organic amendments were those who had higher amounts of nitrogen (N) available in the absence of N fertilization. Possible effects of antagonism between elements, namely calcium and magnesium, were due to the excess of nutrients in the rootzone mixtures, such as potassium. The weeds observed were eudicotyledonous and emerged from the organic amendment CE. Its cut would be effective, in order to control them, with the exception of the genus Sonchus spp.. The rootzone mixture where the plants had lower development and tillering was the CE and the rootzone mixtures NA and NV induced good development, as well as the rootzone mixture PT
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