Molecular Approaches to Turfgrass Improvement

Dr. Faith Belanger's lab is focused on turfgrass improvement through better understanding of disease resistance in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). Dr. Belanger's research is funded by the U.S. Golf Association.

Resistance to the Fungal Disease, Dollar Spot

One of the most important maintenance problems in creeping bentgrass is control of the fungal disease, dollar spot. A related species, colonial bentgrass, is resistant to dollar spot and may be a source of new genes or alleles for improving resistance in creeping bentgrass. We have been using interspecific hybridization and back-crossing to introgress dollar spot resistance from colonial bentgrass into creeping bentgrass. In field-testing of backcross progeny, some plants exhibited excellent dollar spot resistance. We are using this backcross progeny population to construct a genetic linkage map of colonial bentgrass and to look for genomic regions associated with the dollar spot resistance. Using this approach we have identified two linkage groups as likely possessing the dollar spot resistance genes. We are currently working to narrow the genomic regions of interest.

More Info

• Faith Belanger's Lab Website