Outreach Education Achievements from a 2011-2015 Project Focused on Improving Drought and Salinity Resistance in Warm-Season Turfgrasses.

A 2011 – 2015 warm-season turfgrass breeding, germplasm testing and outreach education effort was conducted by five cooperating universities at seven test sites in the U.S.A. Cooperating universities included Texas A&M University, North Carolina State University, the University of Florida, the University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University. Research objectives included germplasm generation and assessment for drought resistance and salinity tolerance in bermudagrass (Cynodon spps.), zoysiagrass (Zoysia ssps.), seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) and St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) under field and controlled environment conditions. Additionally, lay and professional turfgrass management audiences were assessed for their preferences concerning various turfgrass performance traits. Extension objectives included education of clientele on advancements in turfgrass cultivar enhancement, selection of improved germplasm for drought resistance, and improving irrigation water use practices to promote water conservation while enhancing turfgrass performance. The presence of extensive field plots used in research trials facilitated extension outreach tours at field days and workshops directed to turfgrass breeders, golf course superintendents, professional lawn and grounds managers, sports field managers and consumers. Over 1,200 people participated in more than 40 educational events during the course of this project. The inclusion of commercially available and pertinent regional standard turfgrass cultivars in field trials facilitated attendees' understanding of improvements being made by breeders/developers in experimental lines relative to current industry standards. 'DT-1' bermudagrass, from the University of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station, and 'DALSA 0605' St. Augustinegrass, from the Texas A&M AgriLife Research, were released as joint extension and research outcomes of this project. Several extension outreach publications were developed. This project was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture under award number 2010-51181-21064.