Predictive ability of perennial ryegrass spaced-plant nurseries for turfgrass and seed production swards in Minnesota

Abstract

Turf-type perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) success depends on adequate turfgrass quality and economical seed yield. In most breeding programs, spaced plants are the initial unit of selection in which observations of related individuals dictate the selection of superior germplasm for further testing. Therefore, spaced plants must be predictive of seed production and turfgrass growing environments. This study investigated the effectiveness of standard (three plants m−2) and competitive (23 plants m−2) spaced-plant nurseries as selection environments with respect to two sward environments as well as applying a novel image analysis technique for several key traits. Seed production, turfgrass, and the two spaced-plant growing environments were tested at two locations in Minnesota. Turfgrass quality traits were measured in 2017 and 2018 and seed production traits were measured in 2018. Automated image analysis was able to predict the traditional visual scoring values at both locations for crown rust (Puccinia coronata f.sp. lolii) severity [Pearson's correlation (rp) > 0.79, P 0.89, P 0.88, P