Response to salt stress imposed on cultivars of three turfgrass species: Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne, and Puccinellia distans

Abstract

Cool-season turfgrasses can be subjected to salt stress through a variety of sources, and selection for salt tolerance is an increasingly high priority. Two of the main turfgrass species in temperate regions are perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (PRG) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (KBG), and greenhouse evaluations have occurred to rank and characterize salt tolerance in each species. However, salt tolerance in a field setting in a semiarid climate has not been tested, and the genetic mechanisms by which each species specifically responds to salt stress is still unclear.In this study, we evaluated salt tolerance of 10 PRG and 12 KBG entries in a field setting and compare their salt tolerances to two alkaligrass cultivars. Using electrolyte leakage (EL) and turf green cover, tolerant and susceptible cultivars and accessions were identified from both species. Transcriptome-level gene expression analysis was applied on a subset of the entries, and 62 differentially expressed transcripts were shared among the three species with a preponderance of transcripts involving carbohydrate metabolism, oxidation-reduction processes, and ion transport within the cell.Upon further gene enrichment analysis of KBG, more transcripts in those three categories were found. The differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) represent mechanisms by which PRG and KBG respond to salt stress, as well as targets for selection for salt tolerance.

Review of cool‐season turfgrasses for salt‐affected roadsides in cold climates

“…In contrast, Bushman et al. (2019) evaluated cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass in a field trial in Logan, UT, on a 90:10 (percentage sand/organic matter) rootzone mix. Plants were irrigated throughout the summer with increasingly saline irrigation water, ranging from 3 to 9 dS m −1 .…”

“…Older cultivars have been observed to perform better than newer ones in other trials as well. In one such trial, ‘Linn’ had decreased electrolyte leakage and higher percentage green canopy cover than newer, improved cultivars when irrigated with water increasing in salinity from 3 to 9 dS m −1 over the course of two growing seasons in Logan, UT (Bushman et al., 2019). However, in other cases, newer breeding lines have shown improvement over old cultivars such as Linn.…”

“…Alkaligrass cultivars Salty and Fults were also evaluated in a field trial over 2 yr under increasingly saline irrigation water ranging from 3 to 9 dS m −1 . Percentage green cover was not significantly different than a nonsaline control treatment; however, electrolyte leakage was increased, indicating stress (Bushman et al., 2019). Greub et al.…”

A comparison of shared patterns of differential gene expression and gene ontologies in response to water-stress in roots and leaves of four diverse genotypes of Lolium and Festuca spp. temperate pasture grasses

“…In order to understand how this resilience is manifested within temperate pasture grasses, a number of studies have looked at the contribution of differential gene expression, usually in leaves and sometimes in roots, in response to various aspects of stress within Lolium and Festuca spp. These studies have involved stresses such as cold-acclimation [ 3 ], xenobiotics [ 4 , 5 ], disease resistance [ 6 ], submergence [ 7 ], salinity [ 8 , 9 ], heavy metals [ 10 , 11 ], as well as water-stress [ 12 – 20 ]. Because of the resources required to conduct and analyse transcriptomics experiments, a common approach is to compare gene expression in pairs of tolerant and susceptible genotypes and then to frame observed differences in terms of how expression profiles may be contributing to the differing responses to stress—and this can provide valuable insights.…”

Developmental responses of perennial ryegrass, red fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass to In vitro chitosan treatments

“…These grass species can also grow on most soil types since they have a wide range of adaptability to most soils (St. John et al, 2012;Acemi, 2021). Several cultivars of the P. pratensis and L. perenne have been shown to tolerate salt, while some cultivars of F. rubra have been reported to perform under drought and heat stresses (Marcum & Pessarakli, 2010;Wang et al, 2017;Bushman et al, 2020). The properties mentioned above of these species make them desirable grass species in forage and lawn production.…”