6 BARENBRUG SPORT 2024 | PRODUCT GUIDE Disease Tolerance in Winter Sport: Elite Defence Disease tolerance of mixtures and cultivars is an ever-increasing focus of breeding and R&D programmes. Climate change is rapidly impacting on turfgrass disease incidence and severity in the UK and Ireland, and simultaneously, chemical prevention of pathogens is becoming increasingly challenging with new legislation. As a grass breeder, Barenbrug is acutely aware of this, and the responsibility we have to provide products that can offer a potential solution to the problems faced by turf managers. A good example of this is the recent occurrence of Grey Leaf Spot (GLS; Pyricularia grisea or P. oryzae) in stadium environments in the south of England. GLS only appeared in France a few years ago, and likely due to increasing temperatures and humidity, it now seems that the UK will have to deal with this damaging disease on enclosed perennial ryegrass pitches for the foreseeable future. Help is at hand though. Barenbrug breeders on a global level have been screening ryegrasses for this pathogen for many years, and have identified several European-bred, diploid cultivars that have strong tolerance to a range of Pyricularia isolates (the fungus has large variability). The launch of Elite Defence (page 29) in 2024 represents the culmination of a huge R&D effort that promises a product with significantly higher tolerance to GLS, as well as increased protection against Drechslera leaf spot and Brown Patch (Rhizoctonia solani). Significantly, the product utilises only European-bred, diploid cultivars, ensuring minimal compromise on other factors such as wear tolerance and shoot density – traits that have quickly established Elite Sport as the market-leading winter sports seed mix in the UK. Grey Leaf Spot Data Several laboratory and field trials in Europe have resulted in the identification of Amiata, Barprium and Barorlando as varieties with excellent tolerance to GLS. Figure 1 shows data from one of these trials, with % surviving plants after a GLS inoculation in laboratory conditions. The other cultivars in trial include GLS-tolerant material from USA, as well as other European varieties from Barenbrug’s portfolio. Figure 2 shows an independent turf field trial from Landlab in Italy, after a particularly damaging naturally occurring GLS infection. The potential benefits of Amiata and Barprium are clear to see. Figure 1 - GLS Laboratory Trial Data Figure 3 - 2016 S1 BSPB/STRI Trial Scores of Drechslera Leaf Spot Tolerance Figure 2 - GLS infection in independent field trials with Landlab (Italy) 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 AMIATA BARPRIUM BAROMARIO 14-LpGLS166 14-LpGLS160 SR4650 BAR LP 10969 Manhattan 6 BARORLANDO BAROBBEN SR4600 ALTESSE Anouk BARLIBRO BARLICUM BARPRACTICE BARADONA BARLENNIUM BARMARGA Fiesta 4 BAROLYMPIC Saltinas BARSIGNUM BARDORADO BARTHILDE BARLANCIA BARGOLD BARGITA BARCRISTALLA PINNACLE 3 BARTRACE BAREURO Bartwingo BARCLAY II % Surviving Plants of Various Cultivars after Laboratory GLS Inoculation 20PR 1360 Barfi ght 20PR 0991 Barlibro 21PR 1461 Portfolio 20PR 0991 Barprium Amiata
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