Determination of morphological differences in peacock grass (agrostis ssp.L.) genotypes collected from nature

The research was conducted at the experimental field of Selçuk University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. İhsan ÖZKAYNAK. The study was established as part of the TÜBİTAK project No. 113O919, and involved the evaluation of morphological characteristics of 30 selected bentgrass (Agrostis spp. L.) genotypes, which were chosen from among approximately 500 genotypes collected from various regions of Türkiye. The broader project commenced in 2014 and is still ongoing; the data presented in this study were collected during the 2020–2021 vegetation seasons. The primary objective of this study was to determine certain agricultural and morphological traits of naturally collected bentgrass genotypes in terms of their potential use in turfgrass areas, forage crop systems, and rangeland improvement. Observations and measurements conducted in the study included: Turf Quality (on a 1–9 scale), Seasonal Color Change (1–9), Leaf Texture (1–9), Density (1–9), Panicle Formation Tendency (1–9), Autumn Growth Habit (1–9), Plant Height (cm), Leaf Width (mm), Leaf Length (cm), Spring Regrowth Time (1–9), Panicle Length (cm), Final Internode Length (cm), Seed Yield per Plant (g/plant), and 1000-Seed Weight (g). Upon evaluation of the data, it was determined that 9 of the genotypes exhibited characteristics suitable for use in turfgrass applications. These genotypes were particularly notable for traits such as turf quality, seasonal color retention, density, and leaf width. Although not the primary focus of this thesis, some observations regarding disease resistance were also noted. Breeding studies focusing on the use of these genotypes in green space applications are currently ongoing.