No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-71).

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2004. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Catherine A. Zabinski. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-103).

No description available.

Water is a basic necessity for turfgrass growth and metabolic processes, with optimal levels required for the maintenance of turf quality and function. As water restrictions for irrigation of landscapes become more widespread across the United States, turfgrass managers will need to rely on management strategies to improve the performance of turfgrasses under reduced irrigation environments. Therefore, the objectives of the research were to (i) compare the performance of different Agrostis species and cultivars under reduced irrigation, (ii) evaluate the use of wetting agents for maintaining turf quality under reduced irrigation, (iii) and examine the physiological mechanisms associated with improved drought resistance traits of Agrostis species. To address our primary objectives, we conducted a two-year field study comparing cultivars of three bentgrass species, including ‘Revere’ and ‘Tiger II’ colonial bentgrasses (Agrostis capillaris), ‘Legendary’ and ‘Greenwich’ velvet bentgrasses (A. canina), and ‘13M’, ‘T-1’, ‘L-93’, and ‘Penncross’ creeping bentgrasses (A. stolonifera) in response to reduced irrigation with and without the use of a wetting agent. In general, the use of a wetting agent did not result in any significant differences in turf quality or soil moisture content among treatments. There were significant differences in turf quality among bentgrass species and cultivars under reduced irrigation. Colonial bentgrass cultivars maintained high turf quality, and were found to be well suited for fairways under reduced irrigation. Due to excessive thatch accumulation in our study, velvet bentgrass cultivars exhibited significant declines in quality regardless of irrigation level. Among creeping bentgrass cultivars, T-1 exhibited improved drought tolerance compared to the older cultivars of creeping bentgrass. Based on results from the field study, we further evaluated the drought resistance and recovery characteristics among five cultivars of colonial bentgrass (‘Barking’, 'Tiger II’, ‘Revere’, ‘Capri’, and ‘Greentime’). Under moderate drought stress, Barking, Tiger II, and Revere all exhibited lower leaf relative water content levels compared to Capri and Greentime, although no significant differences in turf quality or soil water content were observed during the drought period. Following re-watering, Barking and Tiger II exhibited the most rapid recovery from drought (as measured by percent green cover), while Capri and Greentime exhibited delayed recovery. Therefore, although significant differences in turf performance during drought stress were not observed, recovery potential seems to vary among the different cultivars of colonial bentgrass.

Sur un site de traitement du bois dont les sols étaient contaminés en Cu, une remédiation par la phytostabilisation aidée a été développée et évaluée. Les objectifs étaient : 1) L’évaluation initiale des risques. 2) La sélection d’amendements efficaces pour immobiliser le Cu et restaurer la croissance des végétaux. 3) La sélection d’espèces végétales tolérantes au Cu. 4) L’établissement in situ et le suivi de parcelles d’amendements et d’espèces potentiellement efficaces pour la phytostabilisation. 5) La caractérisation de mécanismes de tolérance d’une Poaceae, Agrostis capillaris. La contamination des sols de surface augmente la mortalité d’invertébrés terrestres et d’espèces végétales, diminue les biomasses et la diversité des communautés végétales et modifie leur composition. L’exposition des racines du haricot au Cu a été diminuée par l’ajout d’amendements au sol, les plus efficaces étant la matière organique, seule ou combinée avec un composé alcalin ou du fer zérovalent. Dans les communautés végétales établies, des espèces natives tolérantes au Cu, i.e. Agrostis capillaris on été identifiées. Les tests en pot ont confirmé la tolérance de plusieurs espèces et souligné des différences de tolérance inter- et intra-espèces. Après les tests en pots, certaines espèces ont été transplantées in situ ainsi que d’autres espèces identifiées d’après la littérature. Après deux ans de phytostabilisation aidée, l’écotoxicité des sols pour le haricot diminue et l’installation spontanée d’espèces augmente. L’association des arbres avec des ectomycorhizes a permis d’améliorer la croissance de P. nigra, cependant le rôle des mycorhizes et d’autres micro-organismes pour améliorer la phytostabilisation reste à confirmer. Une espèce, A. capillaris, a été utilisée pour identifier des mécanismes de tolérance au Cu dans les racines. Le protèome de deux écotypes, métallicole et non métallicole, a été comparé en conditions d’exposition croissante au Cu, en vue de détecter une synthèse différentielle des protéines solubles et de les séquencer. / At a timber treatment site, there is a major Cu contamination of topsoils. Soil remediation was developed and assessed, especially aided phytostabilisation. Main objectives were: 1) Initial risk assessment; 2) The selection of efficient amendments for increasing Cu stabilization and plant growth; 3) The selection of Cu-tolerant plant species; 4) The in situ appraisal of the best amendments and plant species with a long term monitoring of the plots; 5) The characterisation of the tolerance mechanisms of a Poaceae species, A. capillaris. The topsoil contamination increased the mortality for two terrestrial invertebrates and plant species, decreased the biomass and diversity of plant communities and modified their composition as well. Root exposure to Cu was decreased with the incorporation of amendments, i.e. organic matters, singly or in combination with alkaline materials or zerovalent iron grit. In established plant communities, native Cu tolerant species were recorded. Pot experiments confirmed several plant species as Cu tolerant and highlighted differential tolerance across plant species and populations. Some plant species were transplanted to the site and the soil Cu labile pool was decreased by mixing amendments. After a two-year period of aided phytostabilisation, bean exposure decreased, native plant species naturally disseminated and diversity increased. The association of trees with ectomycorhiza improved the growth of P. nigra. The role of mycorhiza and other micro-organisms in improving phytostabilisation was not clear-cut but is a promising option. One of the tolerant plant species, A. capillaris, was chosen to identify the Cu tolerance mechanisms in roots. The proteome of two populations, one metallicolous and one non metallicolous, was extracted and differential synthesis of soluble proteins compared in order to identify and sequence candidates.

Presence and range of phenotypic plasticity in the Agrostis stolonifera polyploid complex (Poaceae) was studied in the territory of the Czech Republic. Plants were cultivated under different experimental conditions. Stomatal size of different Agrostis stolonifera cytotypes was measured. Flow cytometry was applied for genome size estimation. Ploidy levels were determined for more than 150 samples of Agrostis stolonifera as well as several specimens of Agrostis canina, A. capillaris, A. gigantea, A. rupestris and A. vinealis. Absolute DNA content was estimated in all studied species. Isozyme analysis was used to test the possibility of the hybrid origin of pentaploid individuals of Agrostis stolonifera species.

La brûlure en plaques, causée par le champignon Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, est la maladie la plus importante sur les terrains de golf en Amérique du Nord, et son contrôle repose essentiellement sur l’utilisation répétée des fongicides de synthèse. Au Québec, les gestionnaires de terrains de golf doivent trouver des méthodes alternatives de contrôle pour cette maladie afin de réduire leur utilisation de pesticides. L’utilisation d’éliciteurs des réactions de défense des plantes est une méthode peu étudiée pour diminuer l’incidence des maladies chez les graminées à gazon. L’objectif de cette thèse était de mesurer l’efficacité de ces produits et de comprendre les mécanismes impliqués dans leur mode d’action. Premièrement, nous avons mesuré l’efficacité de trois éliciteurs, (silicate de potassium, phosphite et acibenzolar-S-méthyle) pour diminuer l’incidence de la brûlure en plaques sur les terrains de golf. Nos résultats démontrent que le phosphite et, dans une moindre mesure, le silicate de potassium, peuvent réduire l’incidence de cette maladie. Par la suite, nous avons développé une méthode pour mesurer l’expression des gènes chez l’agrostide stolonifère (Agrostis stolonifera) à l’aide d’une hybridation hétérologue de l’ARN de cette dernière sur une biopuce de riz (Oryza sativa). Cette méthode nous a permis valider l’utilité de cette plateforme et de constater que l’infection de S. homoeocarpa sur l’agrostide stolonifère a pour effet de diminuer la transcription de l’ARN, l’accumulation des sucres, la synthèse des lipides et la synthèse de l’ATP, tout en augmentant la remobilisation protéique (dégradation des protéines et transport des peptides). Enfin, en utilisant cette même méthode, nous avons mesuré les effets de l’application de deux éliciteurs sur l’expression des gènes chez l’agrostide. Les résultats de cette expérience montrent que l’application de ces deux éliciteurs modifie l’expression des gènes chez l’agrostide, et particulièrement ceux impliqués dans la synthèse et la dégradation des protéines. Les deux éliciteurs ont aussi affecté l’expression de plusieurs facteurs de transcription, et de quelques gènes impliqués dans les réactions de défense. Nos résultats permettent de mieux comprendre les effets des éliciteurs sur la relation A. stolonifera- S. homoeocarpa et ouvrent la porte à d’autres expériences permettant raffiner les connaissances scientifiques sur cette maladie. / Dollar spot, caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, is the most important disease on golf courses in North America, and its control relies mostly on repeated fungicide applications. In Québec, golf course superintendents have to develop alternate control methods for this disease in order to comply with government-imposed goals of pesticide reduction. The use of elicitors to stimulate plant resistance mechanisms and reduce disease incidence has received little attention in turfgrass. The objectives of this thesis were to assess the efficacy of these products and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in their mode of action. In order to do so, we first measured the efficacy of three elicitors (potassium silicate, phosphite and acibenzolar-S-methyl) to reduce dollar spot incidence on golf courses. Our results show that phosphite, and to some extent potassium silicate, can reduce dollar spot pressure on golf courses. We then developed a method to monitor gene expression in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) by using a rice (Oryza sativa) microarray in order to perform a heterologous hybridization. This technique allowed us to confirm the usefulness of this platform and to observe that, during the infection process by S. homoeocarpa, the expression of genes involved in RNA transcription, sugar accumulation, lipid synthesis and ATP synthesis are down-regulated in creeping bentgrass, while those involved in protein cycling (protein degradation and peptide transport) are up-regulated. Finally, by using this same platform, we were able to monitor gene expression in creeping bentgrass treated with either potassium silicate or phosphite, and inoculated with S. homoeocarpa. Our results indicate that both elicitors significantly affect gene expression in creeping bentgrass, and particularly those involved in protein synthesis and degradation. Both elicitors also affected the accumulation of transcripts coding for transcription factors and for a few genes involved in plant defense mechanisms. Our results allow us to gain a better understanding of the effects of elicitors on the A. stolonifera – S. homoeocarpa interaction and open up the possibility of other experiments using the same platform in order to increase our knowledge on this disease.

Managing soil hydrophobicity caused by localized dry spots (LDS) on sand based golf greens has become one of the greatest challenges for golf course superintendents and managers, especially as water restrictions intensify. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of thirteen soil surfactants in eliminating LDS and in maximizing root zone soil moisture on a sand based USGA golf green located on the California Central Coast. Potential water repellency of air dried cores (measured utilizing the water droplet penetration time (WDPT) method), phytotoxicity, and climate were analyzed during two experimental trials. Phytotoxicity data was collected for Trial I using visual quality ratings and for Trial II using a chlorophyll meter. Phytotoxicity decreased during Trial I. Differences in phytotoxicity as measured using chlorophyll index were not at all significant during Trial II (p = 1). Ten of the thirteen wetting agent treatments significantly (p < 0.001) decreased soil hydrophobicity compared with the other wetting agent treated plots and the non-treated control. More frequent application of Cascade Plus resulted in a more significant reduction in soil hydrophobicity. Increasing the application rates also resulted in the reduction of soil hydrophobicity. Wetting agent treatment 6-CP(10day) maintained the highest volumetric water content (VWC) but treatment 13-2079337 maintained the highest levels for wetting agents treated monthly.