Determination of Some Characteristics of Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.) Populations Collected from Natural Flora and Selection of Grass Type Genotypes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the identification criteria (phenological, morphological and some agricultural) and select the ones suitable for turfgrass. 
 Agricultural studies in Black Sea Agricultural Research Institute Ambarköprü Station were carried out. Identification studies was done according to IBPGR with 900 genotypes in 2015 and 2016. Some parameters determined in the study as follows. Average plant height 65–177 cm, main stem thickness 2.0–6.1 mm, internode length 11–53 cm, flag leaf length 10–42 cm, flag leaf width 3–14 mm, days to heading 208–246, lodging ratio 1.5–5.0 (1=erect; 5= postrate), tillering potential 9–330, spring growth 1.5–5.0 (1- early; 5- late), fresh forage yield 101–2330 g/plant. End of the morphological and technological measuring and observations, 49 genotypes were selected for turfgrass with using relative rating method. According to the analysis, the genotypes were first divided into two main groups. It was determined that the genotypes FA 06-07, FA 31-02, FA 09-08 and FA 05-13 in the first group were collected from Samsun and Tokat locations, and all of the genotypes in the second group were collected from the Tokat location.