Fescue Research Articles

Annual Under-Vine Cover Crops Mitigate Vine Vigor in a Mature and Vigorous Cabernet franc Vineyard

Excessive vine vegetative growth in wet, cool climates increases management costs and compromises grape quality. The standard practice of bare soil under vines exacerbates the vigor problem. This study examined the ability of under-vine cover crops to mitigate excessive vigor in a mature vineyard. A three-year study was conducted in a mature Cabernet franc vineyard in Ovid, NY. Under-vine cover crops of chicory (CHI), tall fescue (FES), tillage radish (TR), alfalfa (ALF), or natural vegetation (NV) were established annually since 2014 to compare with a control of glyphosate-maintained bare soil (GLY). Pruning weight was reduced 64% by CHI and 54% by FES or TR compared to GLY in 2015. Primary and lateral shoot growth was suppressed by CHI in 2016. Fruiting zone leaf layer number was reduced by all of the under-vine cover crops in 2015, and by CHI and FES in 2016. Yield per vine was not reduced by any of the under-vine cover crops in any year of the study. Under-vine cover crops had little impact on harvest parameters including soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, or yeast assimilable nitrogen. Soil properties such as aggregate stability, microbial respiration rate, and carbon mineralizability were improved by some cover crops. Although NV, FES, and TR showed little, and ALF showed neutral, effect on vine growth or yield components, CHI effectively alleviated mature vine vigor without reducing yield in a cool climate. Since water or nutrient competition alone did not fully explain the mitigating effect of under-vine cover crops on vine vigor, other mechanisms such as microbial or allelopathic effects of under-vine cover crops should be examined.

Plant toxicity and accumulation of biosolids-borne ciprofloxacin and azithromycin

Trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) in land applied biosolids can cause phytotoxicities and contaminate human and animal food chains. Information on phytotoxicity and phytoaccumulation of environmentally relevant concentrations of two antibiotic TOrCs, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and azithromycin (AZ), from biosolids-amended soils is limited. Greenhouse studies were conducted to assess the plant toxicity and accumulation of a range of environmentally relevant concentrations of biosolids-borne CIP and AZ in biosolids-amended soils. Separate studies assessed phytotoxicity potential of soil-borne CIP and AZ (soils directly spiked with the target antibiotics without biosolids) at concentrations much greater than those of environmental relevance in biosolids-amended soils. Both the biosolids-borne and the soil-borne antibiotic studies involved three plants (radish (Raphanus sativus), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and tall fescue grass (Festuca arundinacea)) of different morphologies, physiologies, and chemical exposure scenarios. Phytotoxicity and phytoaccumulation from the biosolids-borne antibiotics were minimal at environmentally relevant concentrations, even in sand. The separate phytotoxicity experiments involving the soil-borne antibiotics revealed no observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC) of 3.2 mg kg−1 (AZ) and 36.1 mg kg−1 (CIP) for the three plants grown in soils mimicking typical agricultural soils. These NOAEC values are about 100-fold greater than the antibiotic concentrations expected in biosolids-amended soils. NOAEC values under an unrealistic worst-case where the antibiotics were directly spiked to sand (NOAEC = 3.2 mg kg−1 for AZ; and ≥0.36 mg kg−1 for CIP) were also greater than the environmentally relevant concentrations of the biosolids-borne antibiotics. The results suggest that land application of biosolids-borne CIP and AZ pose De minimis risks to plants. Point estimates of plant bioaccumulation factors (dry weight basis) were 0.01 (CIP) and 0.1 (AZ), suggesting minimal impacts of the target TOrCs on human and/or animal food chains.

Validation of the name Festuca ×polovina (Poaceae)

A natural hybridization in grasses (Poaceae) frequently occurs in the area where the distribution ranges of parental species overlap (e.g. Smith 1942, Tzvelev 1976, Soltis & Soltis 2009, Nobis 2013, Nobis et al. 2017, Wölk & Röser 2017). Such phenomenon can be observed also in the genus Festuca Linnaeus (1753: 73) between Festuca ovina Linnaeus (1753: 73) and Festuca polesica Zapałowicz (1904: 303) that distribution ranges overlap. The hybrid individuals are morphologically intermediate between those of the parental species and can be easily distinguished by leaf anatomy (Bednarska 2009). In 2009, the first author of the present paper described this hybrid as a nothospecies Festuca ×polovina Bednarska (2009: 32), providing a protologue in Latin with a detailed description of the taxon, indication of diagnostic characters, and a list of herbaria where the holotype and isotypes are stored. However, no direct citation of a particular herbarium specimen was provided for the nomenclatural type as required by Art. 40 of the ICN (McNeill et al. 2012), and hence the name F. ×polovina was not validly published.

Conservation and recovery of the Gila Topminnow in the United States

Conservation and recovery of the Gila Topminnow in the United States

Profiling of proteasome activity in Alyssum species on serpentine soils in Turkey reveals possible insight into nickel tolerance and accumulation

In crops and most plants, nickel induces oxidative stress resulting in oxidized and misfolded proteins. Proteasomes maintain cellular homeostasis during stress by removing these damaged proteins. Although mild stress tolerance is mediated by proteasomal proteolysis of misfolded and oxidized proteins, previous studies have observed that severe nickel stress decreases proteasome activity in nickel-sensitive plants. Whether or not proteasome function is impaired in nickel-tolerant plants is not know. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that proteasome activity is elevated in nickel-tolerant Alyssum species capable of accumulating nickel to unusually high levels. Our field studies examined Alyssum sibiricum and Alyssum caricum, a moderate nickel accumulator and hyper-accumulator respectively, growing on their native serpentine soil in Turkey. A. sibiricum had higher proteasome activity on serpentine soil compared to non-serpentine soil; these plants also had elevated levels of nickel accumulation and higher proteasome activity compared to other low accumulating plants in the genus Festuca or Astragalus. In A. caricum, proteasome activity was very weakly correlated with nickel soil bioavailability or accumulation in leaf tissue, suggesting that proteasome function was not impaired in plants that accumulated the highest concentration of nickel. We discuss if maintained proteasome activity might underpin nickel tolerance and the unique ecophysiology of nickel hyper-accumulation in plants.

Growth and forage yield evaluation in different cultivars of Festuca arundinacea and Setaria anceps

Three cultivars viz HIMA-4, Hima-1 and EC-178182 of tall fescue grass (Festuca arundinacea) and three cultivars viz S-18, S-92 and PSS-1 of Setaria anceps were introduced from Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Palampur, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh and planted in the field of Directorate of Extension Education, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh during August 2014 for growth and forage yield evaluation. Trials were laid out in split plot design with three replicates using spacing in the main plot and the varieties in the sub-plots. There were 54 plots of 2 x 1 m accommodating all the possible treatment combinations. Significant variation was observed for growth and yield parameters in all the cultivars under investigation. Yield efficiency as influenced by clump cross-sectional area and clump canopy volume at various planting densities were also computed and are presented.

Determining of Some Quantitative Characteristics of Certain Tall Fescue Cultivars in Cool Season Ecological Conditions

Bu arastirma, yeni uretilen bazi kamissi yumak ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cesitlerinin serin iklim ekolojik kosullarinda bazi kantitatif ozelliklerinin belirlenmesi amaciyla, alti farkli kamissi yumak cesidi (Firaces, Merida, Turbo, Apache, Eldorado ve SR8600) ile Mart 2009 - Ocak 2012 tarihleri arasinda 3 yil sureyle Tokat’ta yurutulmustur. Calismada; surgun sayisi (adet/dm ² ), yesil kutle verimi (g/m²), kuru madde orani (%), kuru madde verimi (g/m ² ), kok kutlesi verimi (g/m ² ) ve kisa dayaniklilik (1-9 puan) ozellikleri incelenmistir. Deneme Tesaduf Bloklari Deneme Deseni’ne gore dort tekrarlamali olarak kurulmustur. Istatistiksel analizler; cesit, yil ve cesit × yil etkilesimlere gore degerlendirilmistir. Arastirma sonunda en yuksek rakamsal veriler Merida ve Turbo cesitlerinden elde edilmis ancak diger cesitlerin de genel anlamda bolgenin ekolojik kosullarina uygun oldugu ve cim alan tesisinde kullanilabilecegi sonucuna varilmistir.

Економічна та енергетична оцінка ефективності вирощування лучних трав на осушених торфовищах лісостепу

Економічна та енергетична оцінка ефективності вирощування лучних трав на осушених торфовищах лісостепу

Некоторые декоративные злаки из рода <i>Festuca</i> L. в культуре Республики Башкортостан

Декоративные злаки считаются модными элементами современного ландшафтного дизайна. Представители рода Festuca (овсяница) отличаются разнообразной декоративной окраской листьев и стеблей. В работе представлены результаты изучения особенностей сезонного ритма роста и развития, морфометрических параметров и использование в фитодизайне шести видов рода Festuca: F. pseudodalmatica Krajina, F. circummediterranea Patzke, F. nigrescens Lam., F. rochelii Kit., F. heterophylla Lam., F. filiformis Pourret. Все растения выращены рассадным способом из семян, полученных в разные годы из ботанических садов России и Европы. В культуре в условиях Республики Башкортостан они хорошо растут и развиваются в течение всего вегетационного периода, проходят все стадии жизненного цикла и образуют семена. При изучении фенологии наблюдали за сроками наступления основных фаз развития растений по стандартным методикам. Измеряли 10 модельных растениях каждого таксона в фазу массового цветения. Статистическая обработка морфометрических данных проведена по общепринятой методике в MS Excel 2003 с использованием стандартных показателей. Изученные виды отличаются по морфометрическим параметрам: самым высокорослым является F. rochelii (в среднем 94,1 см), самым низким видом в Ботаническом саду Уфы — F. heterophylla (39,6 см). F. pseudodalmatica образует наибольшее количество генеративных побегов (155), что отличает ее большей декоративностью в период цветения. Виды рода Festuca перспективны для выращивания не только для Уфы и городов Южного Урала, но и средней полосы России в целом. Они рекомендованы к использованию в фитодизайне для рокариев, миксбордеров и сада злаковых трав.

Pituitary genomic expression profiles of steers are altered by grazing of high vs. low endophyte-infected tall fescue forages.

Consumption of ergot alkaloid-containing tall fescue grass impairs several metabolic, vascular, growth, and reproductive processes in cattle, collectively producing a clinical condition known as “fescue toxicosis.” Despite the apparent association between pituitary function and these physiological parameters, including depressed serum prolactin; no reports describe the effect of fescue toxicosis on pituitary genomic expression profiles. To identify candidate regulatory mechanisms, we compared the global and selected targeted mRNA expression patterns of pituitaries collected from beef steers that had been randomly assigned to undergo summer-long grazing (89 to 105 d) of a high-toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pasture (HE; 0.746 μg/g ergot alkaloids; 5.7 ha; n = 10; BW = 267 ± 14.5 kg) or a low-toxic endophyte tall fescue–mixed pasture (LE; 0.023 μg/g ergot alkaloids; 5.7 ha; n = 9; BW = 266 ± 10.9 kg). As previously reported, in the HE steers, serum prolactin and body weights decreased and a potential for hepatic gluconeogenesis from amino acid-derived carbons increased. In this manuscript, we report that the pituitaries of HE steers had 542 differentially expressed genes (P < 0.001, false discovery rate ≤ 4.8%), and the pattern of altered gene expression was dependent (P < 0.001) on treatment. Integrated Pathway Analysis revealed that canonical pathways central to prolactin production, secretion, or signaling were affected, in addition to those related to corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling, melanocyte development, and pigmentation signaling. Targeted RT-PCR analysis corroborated these findings, including decreased (P < 0.05) expression of DRD2, PRL, POU1F1, GAL, and VIP and that of POMC and PCSK1, respectively. Canonical pathway analysis identified HE-dependent alteration in signaling of additional pituitary-derived hormones, including growth hormone and GnRH. We conclude that consumption of endophyte-infected tall fescue alters the pituitary transcriptome profiles of steers in a manner consistent with their negatively affected physiological parameters.

323 Does genotype play a role in resistance to fescue toxicosis in the ovine?

323 Does genotype play a role in resistance to fescue toxicosis in the ovine?

The Epichlo\xeb festucae antifungal protein has activity against the plant pathogen Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of dollar spot disease

Epichloë spp. are naturally occurring fungal endophytic symbionts of many cool-season grasses. Infection by the fungal endophytes often confers biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to their hosts. Endophyte-mediated disease resistance is well-established in the fine fescue grass Festuca rubra subsp. rubra (strong creeping red fescue) infected with E. festucae. Resistance to fungal pathogens is not an established effect of endophyte infection of other grass species, and may therefore be unique to the fine fescues. The underlying mechanism of the disease resistance is unknown. E. festucae produces a secreted antifungal protein that is highly expressed in the infected plant tissues and may therefore be involved in the disease resistance. Most Epichloë spp. do not have a gene for a similar antifungal protein. Here we report the characterization of the E. festucae antifungal protein, designated Efe-AfpA. The antifungal protein partially purified from the apoplastic proteins of endophyte-infected plant tissue and the recombinant protein expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris was found to have activity against the important plant pathogen Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. Efe-AfpA may therefore be a component of the disease resistance seen in endophyte-infected strong creeping red fescue.

Study of the leaf anatomy in cross-section in the Iberian species of Festuca L. (Poaceae) and its systematic significance.

A study of the leaf anatomy in the species of the genus Festuca present in the Iberian Peninsula was made. A total of 68 taxa were included and 15 characters were measured in leaf cross-section. The major anatomical features of each taxonomic group were characterized, and some variability was observed in the taxa. The anatomical patterns observed were compared and discussed with the relationships suggested by the molecular analyses. The leaf outline, the presence or absence of complete girders, and the development degree of the bulliform cells were the main characters to differentiate among fescue species of the fine-leaved clade and those of the broad-leaved clade. The most useful character to segregate species groups within the different taxonomic sections was the arrangement of the sclerenchyma, and a remarkable variability of this character was found in the species of Festuca section Festuca, especially in those located in other lineages according to molecular markers. Most of the anatomical patterns were not exclusive of the sections or lineages, and only some taxa could be anatomically differentiated at species level based on a set of non-taxative characters. The discordant pattern observed in F. henriquesii, a species traditionally included in Festuca sect. Festuca that shared anatomical features with the species of “F. rubra complex”, suggests its possible inclusion in the sect. Aulaxyper pending further taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses.

Types ofFestucanames (Poaceae) in the herbarium W: taxa described by Johann Vetter (1865−1945)

The lectotypes for 30 entities described by the German botanist Johann Vetter within the genus Festuca are here designated: F. ×biformis, F. ×calcigena, F. ×diluta, F. ×duernsteinensis, F. dura var...

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of lolines in pastures

ABSTRACTPolyclonal antibodies were produced in sheep for the development of a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay for use in quantifying loline alkaloids in pasture samples. Lolines are aminopyrrolizidine secondary metabolites produced by fungal endophytes present in tall fescue and meadow fescue grasses, and confer increased resistance to a range of grass pests. Immunizing and plate coating antigens were prepared with derivatized loline dihydrochloride. Cross-reactivity studies indicated that the assay developed has broad specificity and antibody binding to loline analogues is affected by structural changes in the side chain of the loline molecule. Results obtained using the optimized immunoassay were compared with those determined by gas chromatography. The assay provides a sensitive and rapid analytical method that detects the loline analogues of interest and has been applied in pasture breeding programmes. The assay limit of quantitation for lolines in pasture is 3 µg/g in dried herbage.

Ocorrência do coró-pequeno (Cyclocephala flavipennis) danificando pastagens perenes de inverno na região Sul do Brasil

Cyclocephala flavipennis Arrow, 1914 (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae), popularly known as white grub, is an insect widely disseminated in the South Region of Brazil. Despite the frequent occurrence of this white grub in areas cultivated with winter cereals, it is generally not considered a pest, since it feeds on straw and dead plant material. However, in 2015 and 2016, this insect has been identified as the damage-causing agent in the perennial winter pastures in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Damage was observed in patches and caused reduction in root depth and mass, resulting in loss of vigor, accelerated senescence in aerial parts, and death of tillers in Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and Dactylis glomerata L. plants.

Ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) enhances phytoextraction of lead by vetiver grass from contaminated residential soils in a panel study in the field

Phytoextraction is a green remediation technology for cleaning contaminated soils. Application of chelating agents increases metal solubility and enhances phytoextraction. Following a successful greenhouse experiment, a panel study under field weather elucidated the efficiency of the chelating agent ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) on phytoextraction of lead (Pb) by vetiver grass, a hyperaccumulator of Pb, and a nonaccumulator fescue grass from residential soils contaminated with Pb-based paint from Baltimore, MD and San Antonio, TX. Three soils from each city with Pb content between 1000 and 2400 mg kg−1 were chosen for the panel study. Sequential extraction revealed that Fe-Mn oxide (60–63%) and carbonate (25–33%) fractions of Pb dominated in Baltimore soils, whereas in San Antonio soils, Pb was primarily bound to the organic fraction (64–70%) because organic content was greater and, secondarily, to the Fe-Mn oxide (15–20%) fraction. Vetiver and fescue grasses were transplanted and grown on wood panels in the field with EDDS applied after 3 months and 13 months. Soil and leachate results indicated that EDDS applications increased Pb solubility in soils. Plant tissues results indicated enhanced the uptake of Pb by vetiver and showed that EDDS application promoted translocation of Pb from root to shoot. Average Pb concentration increased by 53% and 203% in shoots and by 73% and 84% in roots of vetiver after the first and second applications of EDDS, respectively. Concentrations in roots and shoots increased in all tested soils, regardless of soil pH or clay content. After the second application, average Pb concentrations in vetiver were higher than those in fescue by 3.6x in shoots and 8.3x in roots. Visual phytotoxic symptoms from increased bioavailable Pb from EDSS applications were observed in fescue but not in vetiver. This study demonstrated the potential of a chemically-catalyzed phytoremediation system as a cleanup method for lead-contaminated soils.

Comparison of 16 models for reference crop evapotranspiration against weighing lysimeter measurement

Accurate estimation of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) is important due to its crucial role in determining crop water requirement in irrigated agriculture. Though a great number of models have been developed, their rigorous evaluation with measurements is still lacking, leading to confusion and arbitrariness in model selection. In this paper daily estimates of 16 ET0 models, including five combination-, six radiation and five temperature-based ones, were compared with weighing lysimeter measurements during crop growing season (April through October) in 2012 at a semiarid site in China. Daily ET0 was measured by two weighing lysimeters (area 1.3m×1.3m, depth 2.3m) located in a fescue grass (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) plot (100m×100m) surrounded by a 167ha crop, winter wheat rotated with summer maize. We found the models were ranked decreasingly as: FAO-ppp-17 Penman>1963 Penman>FAO-24 Blaney-Criddle (BC)>1996 Kimberly Penman>FAO-24 radiation>FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (PM)>FAO-24 Penman>Turc>DeBruin-Keijman>Jensen-Haise>Priestley-Taylor>Hargreaves>Makkink>Hamon>Blaney- Criddle>Mcloud on basis of RMSE (root mean square error). Overall, the combination models performed best with RMSE ranging from 0.93 to 1.32mmd−1, followed by the radiation models with RMSE from 1.28 to 1.79mmd−1, and the temperature models with RMSE from 1.09 to 2.48mmd−1. The best combination model (FAO-ppp-17 Penman) was respectively 29% and 17% more accurate than the best radiation (FAO-24 radiation) and temperature (FAO-24 BC) models. Better performance of the combination and radiation models resulted because they explicitly contain the dominant factors influencing ET0. All models tended to overestimate under low evaporative demand while underestimating the measured values under high demand, but on average the combination and radiation methods underestimated by 0.46mmd−1 and 0.60mmd−1, respectively, whereas the temperature method overestimated by 0.21mmd−1. All combination and radiation models, and the Hargreaves and FAO-24 BC in temperature method showed robust structure. To improve them future efforts should be on local calibration, but for temperature models showing structure failure focus should be on its optimization. The coefficients of commonly used models were calibrated and related to meteorological variables. Particularly, those of the Priestley-Taylor, Makkink, Turc and the Hamon were enhanced, while those of the Hargreaves and BC were decreased. In climate similar to the current site in China we suggest continued use of the older Penman equations for combination method and the FAO-24 radiation or Turc for radiation method. Meanwhile, two questions need to be addressed in future studies: i) adoption of the FAO-56 PM equation as the sole standard for computing ET0 and the proper value for surface resistance; and ii) the effectiveness of the later modifications to the original wind function in the Penman equation.

Milk yield and nitrogen excretion of dairy cows grazing binary and multispecies pastures

AbstractThree grazing experiments were carried out in late spring (early lactation), summer (mid‐lactation) and autumn (late lactation) to compare the effects of perennial ryegrass cultivar or grass species, sown in binary or multispecies mixtures, on milk yield and nitrogen excretion of dairy cows. Replicated groups of multiparous Holstein Friesian × Jersey cows were offered either a control or high‐sugar perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) base grass in a binary mixture with white clover (Trifolium repens) or in a multispecies mixture with additional legumes, bromegrass (Bromus willdenowii) and forbs. During each 9‐day experiment, botanical composition, milk production and faecal and urine composition were measured. Milk solid (MS) yield for the control ryegrass, high‐sugar ryegrass and tall fescue grass types averaged, respectively, 1.53, 1.64 and 1.70 kg MS cow−1 day−1 for a binary mixture sward, compared with 1.65, 1.54 and 1.53 kg MS cow−1 day−1 for a multispecies sward. Legume content influenced milk production more than the number of species present in a mixture. There was lower urine N concentration from a multispecies sward compared with a binary mixture. Urine N concentration of cows grazing the control ryegrass, high‐sugar ryegrass and tall fescue grass types averaged, respectively, 4.6, 5.3 and 6.8 g N L−1 for a binary mixture, compared with 4.1, 3.9 and 3.9 g N L−1 for a multispecies mixture. Feeding dairy cows on multispecies swards containing forbs presents an opportunity to reduce N losses without compromising milk yield.

Study on the Cytotaxonomy of Some Species of the Genus Festuca (Poaceae)

The karyological study of four species (11 populations) of the genus Festuca L. from different geographic origins is presented. Basic chromosome number in all populations was x = 7. A large variety of ploidy levels ranging from diploids to octoploids was obtained in different species and populations. Chromosomes of all populations were mostly metacentric (m) and sub-metacentric (sm). According to intrachromosomal asymmetry, F. rubra (8308) and F. pratensis (9623) had the most asymmetrical karyotypes and F. ovina (2127 and 2357) had the most symmetrical karyotype among all populations. While based on interchromosomal asymmetry, among diploid populations, F. pratensis (4363) and among hexaploid populations, F. arundinacea (3996) had the most asymmetrical karyotype. The results of analysis of variance revealed significant differences between the populations based on all karyotypic characteristics (p < 5%) except for A2. The results of cluster analysis showed that populations have been grouped in three clusters. Detailed karyotype analysis allows us to group different populations and interpret their relationships.