New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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Foliage freeze tolerance trait diversity in bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge)

J. W. Breman

IFAS, University of Florida
25 N.E. 1st Street
Lake Butler, FL 32054 USA
civilday@ufl.edu

A. R. Blount

NFREC-Marianna
University of Florida
3925 Highway 71
Marianna, FL 32446 USA

K. H. Quesenberry

T. R. Sinclair

Department of Agronomy, University of Florida
314 Newell Hall
PO Box 110500, Gainesville
Florida 32611-0500 USA

Abstract Freeze protection of bahiagrass in subtropical pastures might be accomplished through genetic improvement of existing diploid (sexual) cultivars, if clones with a leaf freeze tolerance trait (FT) could be confirmed. Clones originally identified as having FT under field conditions were compared under controlled temperatures to confirm those clones that specifically expressed a FT trait. An initial study was undertaken to determine whether damage induced by placing potted plants in freezing temperatures was confounded by low soil temperature, or leaf damage was directly a result of leaf freeze damage. This experiment confirmed that FT was a result of leaf tolerance to freeze injury, not root damage. Stress treatment of 10 h duration at successively colder temperatures (–1°C, –3°C, –5°C, and –7°C) was evaluated on 26 clones grown in pots. Substantial variation in FT was observed among these clones, with ‘FL67’ being significantly more tolerant, even to temperatures as low as –7°C. An additional comparison of 30 clones was done by subjecting a fresh set of plants only to –6°C. Superior FT of ‘FL67’ was confirmed, along with the identification of FT in ‘CO6’ and ‘OK2’.

Keywords bahiagrass; diploid; freeze tolerance; forage; Paspalum notatum

A07024; Online publication date 11 June 2008; Received 4 April 2007; accepted 4 April 2008

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2008, Vol. 51: 191–198
0028–8233/08/5102–0191 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

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