Registration of ‘Intercross’ Ryegrass

Abstract

‘Intercross’ (Reg. No. CV‐258, PI 658507) intermediate ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum × L. perenne Lam.) was developed by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station—now Texas AgriLife Research—at what is now the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, Texas. Intercross was approved for release in 2010 by Texas AgriLife Research. The objective for the development of Intercross was to improve turf quality while retaining the early transition from the annual parent. The annual parent, ‘Axcella’ does not have good turf quality, whereas the intermediate parent, experimental 01‐ARG, has good turf quality but transitioned as a perennial under Texas conditions. Therefore the cross was made in an attempt to widen the genetic base not present in the annual and then to select for improved turf characteristics in segregating populations. Intercross was tested under the experimental designation TXR2007‐TF‐PR‐A and is a turf‐type, intermediate, transition‐type ryegrass. Intercross is a diploid ryegrass where 2n = 2x = 14 chromosomes. Intercross should be labeled as an intermediate ryegrass, indicating that it has some characteristics of an annual and some characteristics of a perennial ryegrass. The main attributes of Intercross are a darker‐green leaf color compared with Axcella, ‘Axcella 2’, ‘Panterra’, and ‘Gulf’. Darker leaf color is more evident late in spring in Texas (April). Turf‐quality ratings are good from November until early May and then decline. The transition of Intercross is similar to that of Panterra and Axcella 2 and is much earlier than most intermediate or perennial ryegrass cultivars. Intercross has been evaluated in turf‐overseeding trials at Overton for the past 2 yr. Seed production of Intercross will be in Oregon.