1. Seed Research of Oregon
Options in Overseeding
Seed Research of Oregon
A work in progress

2. SRO Research - Ryegrass Strategies
High turf quality
Rapid establishment
Winter-active growth for overseed & sports fields
Gray Leaf Spot resistance
Other critical diseases - Brown Patch, Crown Rust, Leaf Spot, Red Thread - resistance
Creeping types - better for sports fields & wear
Salt tolerance

3. Why “salt tolerance”?
*Increased use of waste or recycled effluent water to irrigate golf courses in arid regions
*Increased water conservation - less flushing / leaching
*Changing weather patterns – drought
*Rapid Blight disease – salt tolerance
*More golf courses being built in coastal areas with potential salt water intrusion into aquifers
*Increased development of courses on poor quality land with soil & drainage issues

4. Ryegrass Overseed – salt issues
TPC Scottsdale, Arizona
Effluent Water, Drainage & Compaction Issues, Drought

5. Confirmed Rapid Blight

6. Turfgrass Salt Tolerance Overseed Use Species
Good Tolerance
Creeping Bentgrass, Chewings Fescue, Zoysiagrass
Very Good Tolerance
Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass
Creeping Red Fescue, Hard Fescue
Exceptional Tolerance
Seashore Paspalum, Alkaligrass
Poor Tolerance
Centipedegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Colonial Bentgrass, Rough Bluegrass,
Annual Bluegrass, Annual Ryegrass, Transitional Ryegrass, Carpetgrass
Fair Tolerance
Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass

7. Relative Salt Tolerance
Range and variation exists within any species
Depends on cultivar / variety differences and selection / breeding / development

8. Preliminary Salt Tolerant PRG’s
Brightstar SLT – 18% of parent plants screened for seedling salt germination. Mature plants showed salt tolerance at 17,000ppm for 9 weeks. Marketed for southern overseeding use, and “areas with cool moist maritime winters”.
Charger II – some parent plants screened for seedling salt tolerance - final screening on mature plant salt tolerance and marketed for overseeding use.
Palmer III – no salt tolerance screening when developed. In tests, Palmer III ranked close to Charger II for mature plant survival in salt solution. Marketed for southern overseed use.

9. Salt Tolerant Perennial Ryes
Las Vegas effluent quality?
Sea water – approx. 30,000ppm NaCl
Oceans Aquarium Solutions
10,000ppm NaCL ,000ppm ,000ppm
SEEDLING SALT TOLERANCE

10. Seedling Salt Tolerance in Perennial Ryegrass 10,000ppm

11. Seedling Salt Tolerance in Perennial Ryegrass 10,000ppm

12. Seedling Salt Tolerance in Perennial Ryegrass - VIGOR

13. Seedling Salt Tolerance in Perennial Ryegrass 12,000ppm

14. Seedling Salt Tolerance in Perennial Ryegrass 12,000ppm

15. Seedling Salt Tolerance in Perennial Ryegrass
15,000ppm Solution
Charger II % germination/establishment
Brightstar SLT - 1% germination/establishment
SR4220 & SR % germination/establishment
Penguin % germination/establishment

16. Salt Tolerant and Other New Ryes
STR 4PSLT - plants from SRO salt screening project planted and rogued for uniformity, color and yield.
Includes germplasm from Penguin, plus SR 4420, 4220 and Hawkeye. Production fields planted Fall 2005.
STR 4TPC - Progeny of PRG survivors in very heavy salt areas at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona.
SRX 45AB - Winter-active material
SRX 4QTR - Quick transitioning ryegrass

17. SRO Salt Screening in Other Turf Species
Tall Fescue
Bluegrass
Bermudagrass
Bentgrass

18. OTHER KEY BREEDING TRAITS Gray Leaf Spot Resistance
2004 Perennial Ryegrass NTEP Gray Leaf Spot
Rutgers University
Disease now confirmed in
CA, OH, IN, IL
Overseed & Permanent Turf

19. Gray Leaf Spot Resistant Ryes
PEREGRINE - 1st cycle - certified seed
SR nd cycle - certified seed
SR 4600 (SRX 4SP) - Certified this fall - brown patch resistance, lateral spread, highest turf quality
HARRIER (SRX 4UP3) - Certified this fall - stress tolerant, high turf quality
SRX 4682 (Hawkeye II) - Certified next fall - high gray leaf spot resistance
SRX Certified next fall – (SR 4220 derived)
LCK - Certified next fall - High brown patch and GLS

20. Special Traits - Perennial Ryegrass
CONSTANT IMPROVEMENTS & UPGRADES
SR 4550 – high seedling salt tolerance, superior gray leaf spot resistance
SR high gray leaf spot, high seedling salt tolerance, quicker transition
SR high gray leaf spot, high seedling salt tolerance, wear tolerance
SR high gray leaf spot resistance, improved wear tolerance
SR gray leaf spot resistance, superior density
Hawkeye – fast establishment, high seedling salt tolerance, winter active growth
Peregrine – excellent wear tolerance, very dense, very high gray leaf spot res.
Penguin – very high seedling salt tolerance, high seedling vigor, winter active

21. Getting the Most From Your PRG Blend
3 variety blend
POA FREE
Certified seed / blue tag
Only high performance updated ingredients
Blending benefits and traits
(Salt, RB, GLS, Transition…)
*Shadow Creek
*TPC courses nationwide
*Augusta National
SAMPLES!

22. Oregon Blue Tag Certified seed can contain Poa annua.

23. Champion GQ - Easier to Maintain……..

24. Species for Overseeding
Ryegrasses
Perennial, intermediate, annual
Fine fescues
Chewings, slender creeping red,
strong creeping red, hard
Bentgrasses
Velvet, colonial, creeping, dryland, Idaho
Bluegrasses
Rough bluegrass, Kentucky, others
Other species

25. Additional Overseed Solutions

26. Transitional ryegrass
PR TR AR
PR/TR

27. Transitional Ryegrass
Strengths
Rapid germination & establishment
Less expensive seed
Better Spring transition in south
Germination and growth at cooler temperatures
Moderate green color
Less mowing requirement than annual
Moderate seedling salt tolerance

28. Transitional Ryegrass
Weaknesses
Potentially poor mowing quality in Spring if mowing schedule delayed
Lighter green color than current turf-type perennial ryegrass varieties
Low salt tolerance as mature plants
(Germination excellent with salts)
- Larger seed size

29. Winter Overseeding Solutions
Formulated Mixtures for golf course use in southern regions
3-way Perennial Ryegrass Blend + 30% Fine Fescue
Tees, Fairways & Roughs
Improved salt and Rapid Blight tolerance, darker color, improved shade tolerance, more active winter growth, improved spring transition
SAMPLES!

30. SRO Ryegrass + Chewings Fescue
Fairway Overseed Univ. of AZ , Seeded Oct. 28
Entry Mean color Mean Texture Mean Quality
SRO Fine
Racer II PR
Protocal 3 PR
Salinas Rye/Tiffany Ch
Allsport PR
Valley Select PR Bl
Overseeding Eagle
Gulf Annual

31. Chewings Fescue - Overseeding
Very fine with stiff texture – holds balls well
Shade & low light tolerance
Good wear tolerance
Winter-active growth
Improved transition with high quality
Rapid germination
Germinates only 1 to 2 days slower than perennial rye
Smaller seedling
Resistance to Labyrinthula / Rapid Blight
Medium seed size

32. Chewings Fescue - Overseeding
Good salt tolerance
Dark green color
Increase genetic diversity of mixtures
Mixtures with perennial ryegrass,
bentgrasses, Poa trivialis
Seeding rates (alone) - Do not mow too soon
Greens lbs./1000 sq. ft.
Tees lbs./1000 sq. ft.
Fairways lbs./1000 sq.ft.

33. Champion Fine Chewings fescue Perennial ryegrass
Seeds / lb. = 400,000
Perennial ryegrass
Seeds / lb. = 200,000
15 lbs./1000 sq.ft. = 21 seeds/ sq. inch
70 % Perennial ryegrass / 30% Chewings fescue
Seeds / lb. = 260,000
15 lbs./1000 sq. ft. = 27 seeds/sq. inch
12 lbs/1000 sq. ft. = 22 seeds/sq. inch

34. GREENS & TEES Overseed Solutions Slender Creeping Red Fescue
Strengths
High salt tolerance
Resistance to Rapid Blight
Short rhizomes for repair
Tolerant of short cutting heights for greens, tees and fairways
Excellent fall, winter and spring color
Mixes well with other overseed species
Perennial Ryegrass, Poa trivialis

35. Slender Creeping Red Fescue
Where to use
Fairways - areas with higher salt problems
Greens and tees for overseeding in salt areas – (used for permanent greens in UK)
Fairways & Mowed Roughs
Blends with other fine fescues, colonial bentgrass, bluegrass and perennial ryegrass
Dr. Gwen Stahnke - Washington State University Puyallup, WA Dr. Leah A. Brilman - Seed Research of Oregon

36. Dawson slender creeping red fescue Perennial ryegrass

37. Trials and Samples - Helena