b"resources, ideas, and tests each otherssaid Milla-Lewis. To the human eye, materials across a broad section of themaybe in the first six days the plants don't southern states.look stressed at all, but in the hyperspec-Anything we learn on how to improvetral or thermal data, you are able to iden-the breeding and selection processtify stress earlier. She says that significant can be shared with the other breed- progress in genotypic data combined ers working on that species and/or traitwith increased phenotypiic data enables which ultimately gets better grasses toresearchers to identify key parts of a consumers faster. And the same can beplants genome controlling desired traits. said for all other disciplines, says SusanaComplex traits such as drought tolerance Milla-Lewis, professor of turfgrass breed- and yield are influenced by many genes. ing and genetics at North Carolina State University. Take-Away #4: CommunicationEffective, highly intentional communi-Take-Away #2: Set a Goal, Adjust cation to end users was a top-of-mind Climate change is creating new pressurespriority for the project from the start. and priorities across agriculture, and newChanjin Chung, professor of agricultural goals and targets for breeding cultivars. economics at Oklahoma State University, Our winters used to see 30 degreesJason Peake, professor of agriculturedid a survey of consumers, assessing Fahrenheit in January and February, thenleadership, education and communicationwhat turfgrass traits were most impor-you would have the last freeze in March,at the University of Georgia, looked at thetant to them and how much they would and April was sunny, Milla-Lewis said.problem of how to get end users to notbe willing to pay for improvement to These days its erratic. Some weeksonly opt for new drought tolerant cultivars,those traits. Drought and shade tolerance in North Carolina it might be 30F onbut to maintain them properly. were clear winners among consumers. Monday and 70F on Friday.PHOTO: SUSANA MILLA-LEWIS, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY This pre-survey ensured research focused The teams goals have correspond- on developing end-products with obvi-ingly changed. Instead of breeding warmous marketability. Communication is season grasses for freeze tolerance, theynow benefit from multiple new technolog- ongoing as all the universities involved now need to develop turf that can toler- ical tools. The first grant enabled the teamhold field days to share information. ate temperature fluctuations, which isto start developing DNA reference mark- Jason Peake, professor of agriculture uniquely stressful to the physiology of theers. Since then, the project has achievedleadership, education and communica-plant. There are additional challenges withsignificant gains include the developmenttion at the University of Georgia, looked increases in temperaturelike insectof the genomes for St Augustinegrassat how to get end users to not only opt pests being able to reproduce moreand zoysiagrass, two species of turfgrassfor new drought tolerant cultivars, but to generations each year or fungi movingthey are working with. While genotypicmaintain them properly. This resulted in into new geographies courtesy of warmerdata has advanced quickly, so too hasa plan including a survey to identify key temperatureseach of which also has tophenotypic (observable trait) data. players and determine preferred commu-be addressed.Initially researchers assessed test plotsnication channels. He and his team also Collaboration and adaptability arevisually, walking the plots and assigningexamined information needed to ensure key to speeding advancements, giving aeach one a numerical value from one tobehavior change. One of the projects dis-better chance of developing varieties thatnine on growth characteristics. They alsocoveries was that homeowners are most will succeed in challenging climates. utilized digital image analysis, carryinginfluenced by their neighbors. Because of cameras mounted inside a box with LEDthis, the newest step in the effort to shift Take-Away #3: Tech for the Win lights from one plot to the next. A com- attitudes towards drought tolerant turf When their turf project achieved its firstputer program read the images for greenis to install selected cultivars along with round of funding in 2010, the projectpixels against the background. Thanks tosmart water sensors in several yards in focused on plant breeding, physiology,funding from the second grant cycle, thevarious neighborhoods. and socioeconomics. Over the span ofteam added the use of drones to scan the projects 13 (and counting) years,plots. Researchers could then use red andLooking Forwardtechnology has advanced quickly innear infrared measurements to calculateWorking together, embracing technology, both the molecular tools applied to plantNormalized Difference Vegetative Indexadapting as needed and engaging con-breeding and the available mechanisms(NDVI) as a measure of the health of thesumers are a powerful combination when for plot evaluation. Where in the earlyplants, thermal sensors to detect plantapplied to research in todays changing days there were limited or even no DNAstress, and hyperspectral imaging to col- world. Together, they have worked well markers for the species researchers werelect additional phenotypic data.for turfgrass. Where else can agriculture studying and developing, researchersYou fly the drone every two days,use these powerful tools?SW38/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2023"