Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and – Plant – seedling – plant seed – or plant part – per se – Higher plant – seedling – plant seed – or plant part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-24
2002-09-03
Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)
Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and
Plant, seedling, plant seed, or plant part, per se
Higher plant, seedling, plant seed, or plant part
C800S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06444880
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cultivated varieties of true breeding, stable intermediate ryegrass for use as a short lived, improved turfgrass on golf courses and other areas using seeded turfgrasses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Annual ryegrass (
Lolium multiflorum
) and Perennial ryegrass (
Lolium perenne
) are the two most widely used turfgrasses in the world. Many varieties of each species have been developed. Perennial ryegrass is used as both a turfgrass and a forage grass. Annual ryegrass is used as a forage grass and a turfgrass, but there are no commercially available varieties of turf type annual ryegrass.
For many turf applications, a stable variety of Intermediate ryegrass if available would be desirable. Intermediate ryegrasses are crosses between annual and perennial ryegrass. This cross is relatively easy to make and has been frequently done. However, once the cross has been made, the resulting plants are not stable and true breeding, but revert to annual or perennial types.
For many southern golf courses planted with Bermuda grass, a standard practice is to overseed every fall with perennial ryegrass. Perennial ryegrass provides an outstanding turf cover during the cool winter months. However, perennial ryegrass is very persistent and does not easily die out and give way for the re-emerging Bermuda grass in the spring when warm weather returns.
Annual ryegrass, such as the variety ‘Gulf’, can also be used to overseed dormant Bermuda grass, but the turf quality is poor and not acceptable to most golf courses. However, annual ryegrass does die off quickly in the spring to make way for the re-emerging Bermuda grass.
What turf managers need for many applications is a cultivar that combines the turf quality and color of perennial ryegrass with the annual nature of annual ryegrass.
In northern turf areas, turf managers have long used annual ryegrass as a short-lived “nurse” grass for quick establishment when mixed with Kentucky bluegrass or red fescue. The annual ryegrass establishes very quickly and stabilizes the soil with a very quick ground cover establishment. Unfortunately annual ryegrass is very competitive in establishment and a very undesirable appearing species as a turfgrass.
What northern turf managers need for “Nurse grass” situations is an attractive fast starting short lived ryegrass that provides a high quality turf surface that allows early establishment but dies back to allow the slower establishing but long lived perennial grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass and red fescue to then take over.
Crosses between annual ryegrass and perennial ryegrass have been made in attempts to develop Intermediate ryegrasses. Some varieties that have been developed include Oregreen, Transtar, Froghair, Interim and Transit. To date, none of these varieties of Intermediate ryegrass have been stable and true breeding. These intermediate rye grass varieties have all reverted to annual ryegrass during seed production increase since they have not been stable and true breeding.
Eight Species of the genus Lolium have been described. All but
L. perenne
have an annual life cycle, or at least are very short lived perennials. The genus Lolium is not complicated with naturally occurring polyploids; all species are diploid. Worldwide,
L. perenne
and
L. multiflorum
, are the most important species of the genus. Common names are perennial ryegrass for
L. perenne
, and Italian or annual ryegrass for
L. multiflorum.
L. perenne
and
L. multiflorum
hybridize readily. In fact, natural and bred hybrids among the three outcrossing ryegrass species,
L. multiflorum×L. perenne
(=L.×hybridum),
L. multiflorum×L. rigidum
; and
L. perenne×L. rigidum
, have been reported in Australia and Europe. Sufficient crossing occurs between the outcrossing Lolium species to form a wide range of fertile hybrids.
A seedling root fluorescence (SRF) test has been the official method for separation of ryegrass kinds of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) since 1953 (Jones, 1983, ISTA, 1966). The routine use of the seedling root fluorescence test in the United States started approximately in 1941. This policy provided that a SRF test shall be made on all ryegrass samples for which the species is to be determined. After experimenting with various light sources, test length, and the lifting of seedlings, standard procedures for conducting fluorescence tests were proposed. The extracted pigment responsible for root fluorescence in annual ryegrass is a weak, basic alkaloid, only slightly soluble in water. It was named annuloline. Other tests have been used to attempt a more conclusively way to separate the two important ryegrass species. Morphologically, leaf vernation differences between perennial and annual ryegrass have been used. Other methods applying biochemical characters, such at electrophoresis on general seed proteins and isozymes have yielded good results. Like the SRF test, however, such alternative tests have not been supported by genetic linkage studies.
On a morphological test basis, leaf vernation is considered to be the most accurate seedling characteristic used for distinguishing annual from perennial ryegrass. The Oregon Seed Trade Association (OSTA) considered using this character as a supplement to the fluorescence test when monitoring seed lots for certified status.
Little mention is made of Intermediate ryegrass in the ryegrass literature. For example, the 1995 OECD List of Cultivars Eligible for Certification in 1995 lists over 200 varieties of Perennial Ryegrass and Annual Ryegrass but no varieties of Intermediate ryegrass. The inherent instability of Intermediate ryegrass has made the development of these type of ryegrasses very difficult.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the description and tables which follow, a number of terms are used. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided:
Annual Ryegrass:
Lolium multiflorum
. A grass species commonly used as a turf grass that lives for one year or less.
Perennial Ryegrass:
Lolium perenne
. A grass species commonly used as a perennial turfgrass in the north and as a short-lived (less than one year) turfgrass to overseed warm season grasses.
Intermediate Ryegrass:
Lolium hybridum
. A grass species developed by crossing annual and perennial ryegrass. This is a “man-made” species which is not found in nature.
Turf: A covering of mowed vegetation usually a turfgrass, growing intimately with an upper stratum of intermingled roots and stems.
Turfgrass: A species or cultivar of grass, which is maintained as a mowed turf.
Turf Color: The composite visual color of a turfgrass community as perceived by the human eye. Usually measured on a 1 to 9 scale, with 9 being darkest.
Turf Quality: The degree to which a turf conforms to an agreed standard of uniformity, density, texture, growth, habit, smoothness, and color, as judged by subjective visual assessment. Usually measured on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being best.
Turfgrass Density: The number of turf grass tillers or shoots per unit area and measured at a certain time (e.g., days) after seeding.
Turfgrass Environment: The complex of climate, endaphic, biotic, and cultural (management) factors that act upon a turfgrass community and ultimately determine it's form and survival.
True Breeding: As used herein, the term “true breeding” means the ability of a variety to produce seed for three or more generations that reproduces the described characteristics of the variety and meets accepted Standards of Uniformity as defined by the Oregon State Seed Certification Handbook 2000 (Seed Certification Handbook 2000, Oregon State University Certification Board, Oregon State Extension, pp 1-5, (2000))
Leaf Texture: The relative fineness or coarseness of turfgrass leaves measured in millimeters at the cut or mowed leaf blade and measured at 6 weeks after seeding.
Flag Leaf Width: The width of a flag leaf blade
Para A
Pickseed West, Inc.
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