Stable intermediate ryegrass varieties

Abstract

Uniform and stable varieties of intermediate ryegrass that have characteristics desired for a turfgrass including plant height, leaf texture, flag leaf width, seedling vertical growth rate and turf density.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A true breeding intermediate ryegrass having a plant height of less than 90 cm.  
     
     
         2 . A true breeding intermediate ryegrass of  claim 1 , wherein said plant height is between about 90 cm and about 85 cm.  
     
     
         3 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 1 , wherein said plant height is between about 84 cm and about 80 cm.  
     
     
         4 . A true breeding intermediate ryegrass having a leaf texture of less than 4.6 mm.  
     
     
         5 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 4 , wherein said leaf texture is between about 4.6 mm and about 4.2 mm.  
     
     
         6 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 4 , wherein said leaf texture is between about 4.1 mm and about 3.8 mm.  
     
     
         7 . A true breeding intermediate ryegrass having a flag leaf width of less than 5.2 mm.  
     
     
         8 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 7 , wherein said flag leaf width is between about 5.2 mm and about 4.6 mm.  
     
     
         9 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 7 , wherein said flag leaf width is between about 4.5 mm and about 4.2 mm.  
     
     
         10 . A true breeding intermediate ryegrass having a seedling vertical growth rate of less than 30 mm.  
     
     
         11 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 10 , wherein said seedling vertical growth rate is between about 30 mm and about 26 mm.  
     
     
         12 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 10 , wherein said seedling vertical growth rate is between about 25 mm and about 21 mm.  
     
     
         13 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 10 , wherein said seedling vertical growth rate is between about 20 mm and about 17 mm.  
     
     
         14 . A true breeding intermediate ryegrass having a turf density greater than about 86 tillers/100 cm 2 .  
     
     
         15 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 14 , wherein said turf density is between about 86 tillers/100 cm 2  and about 97 tillers/100 cm 2 .  
     
     
         16 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 14 , wherein said turf density is between about 98 tillers/100 cm 2  and about 107 tillers/100 cm 2 .  
     
     
         17 . The intermediate ryegrass of  claim 14 , wherein said turf density is between about 108 tillers/100 cm 2  and about 112 tillers/100 cm 2 .  
     
     
         18 . A true breeding intermediate turfgrass variety having the identifying characteristics of a variety selected from the group consisting of: 
 Transist deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-2255; A-97 deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-2257, and A-98 deposited under ATCC accession number PTA-2256.    
     
     
         19 . Seed of the variety of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         20 . A turfgrass plant, or parts thereof, produced by growing the seed of  claim 19 .  
     
     
         21 . Pollen of the plant of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         22 . An ovule of the plant of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         23 . A turfgrass plant, or parts thereof, having all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the turfgrass plant of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         24 . An intermediate ryegrass produced by growing seed from the intermediate ryegrass of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         25 . An intermediate ryegrass produced vegetatively from the intermediate ryegrass of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         26 . A method for producing a hybrid turfgrass seed comprising crossing a first parent turfgrass plant with a second parent turfgrass plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid turfgrass seed, wherein said first parent turfgrass plant or said second parent turfgrass plant is the turfgrass plant of  claim 20 . said first parent turfgrass plant or said second parent turfgrass plant is the turfgrass plant of  claim 20 .  
     
     
         27 . A hybrid turfgrass seed produced by the method of  claim 26 .  
     
     
         28 . A hybrid turfgrass plant, or parts thereof, produced by growing said hybrid turfgrass seed of  claim 27 .  
     
     
         29 . An intermediate turfgrass plant, or parts thereof, wherein at least one ancestor of the turfgrass plant is the turfgrass plant of  claim 20 , said turfgrass plant expressing a combination of at least two Transist, A-97 or A-98 traits selected from the group consisting of: 
 plant height of less than 90 cm, a leaf texture of less than 4.6 mm, uniform, stable, flag leaf width less than 5.2 mm, seedling vertical growth rate of less than 30 mm and a turf density greater than 86 tillers/100 cm 2 .    
     
     
         30 . A method for developing an intermediate turfgrass plant in a turfgrass plant breeding program using plant breeding techniques which include employing a turfgrass plant, or its parts, as a source of plant breeding material comprising: using the turfgrass plant, or its parts, of  claim 20  as a source of said breeding material.