Plants continuously interact with soil microbiota. These plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) are considered a driving force in plant community dynamics. However, most PSF information comes from inter-family studies, limited on possible causes. We studied the variation of PSFs between and within grass species identified microbes that associated observed effects. grew monocultures ten cultivars three (Lo...

The runoff or leaching of nitrogen fertilizers from monoculture turfgrass lawns contri-butes to water pollution, and such are susceptible insect pests provide few resources for pollinators. One approach creating more sustainable is incorporate white clover (Trifolium repens L.), a nitrogen-fixing legume, into grass seed mixtures existing swards. “Dutch” (DWC), ubiquitous landrace, forms non-uni...

Tall fescue [Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub] accounts for nearly 16 million hectares of pasture in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S. due to its heat, drought, and pest resistance, conferred to the plant by its symbiotic relationship with the endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum. The endophyte produces ergot alkaloids that have negative effects on the growth and reproduction of animals, r...

Grasses have been considered to primarily employ tolerance in lieu of defense in mitigating damage caused by herbivory. Yet a number of mechanisms have been identified in grasses, which may deter feeding by grazers. These include enhanced silicon uptake, hosting of toxin-producing endophytic fungi and induction of secondary metabolites. While these mechanisms have been individually studied, the...

Calcium (Ca+) may be involved in plant tolerance to heat stress by regulating antioxidant metabolism or/and water relations. This study was designed to examine whether external Ca2+ treatment would improve heat tolerance in two C3, cool-season grass species, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), and to determine the physiological mechanisms of Ca2+ effe...

Inearly 1981 the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, through its Bureau of Parks, began to identify a potential problem in operations. Developed park acreage was expanding so rapidly that the staff envisioned a time in the near future when the overall maintenance requirements would vastly outstrip the available operatingbudget dollars. The rate of development between 1975 and 1987...

Festuca arundinacea Schreb., commonly known as tall fescue, is a major forage crop in temperate regions. Recently, a molecular analysis of different accessions of a world germplasm collection of tall fescue has demonstrated that it contains different species from the genus Festuca and allowed their rapid classification into the three major morphotypes (Continental, Mediterranean and Rhizomatous...

In germinating seeds under unfavorable environmental conditions, the mobilization of stores in the cotyledons is delayed, which may result in a different modulation of carbohydrates balance and a decrease in seedling vigor. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) caryopses grown at 4°C in the dark for an extended period in complete absence of nutrients, showed an unexpected ability to survive...