TURFGRASSES: INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES (IAS) AS EN EMERGING

PROBLEM IN ITALY

1University of Basilicata, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy2University of Basilicata, Department of Biology, Biotechnology and Agro-Forestry Protection, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy

Potenza Giovanna2, Castronuovo D.1,Fascetti S.2, Perniola M.1, Miccolis V.1, Lovelli S.1, Candido V.1

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research is organized in two phases: the first one involves screening of the study area (Central and Southern Italy) to findsuitable turfgrass species caracteristic of the Mediterranean Bioclimate; the second one focuses on innovative propagation and cultivation techniques, including hydroponic to optimize the'mother plants' growth. During summer 2011 and winter 2012 samples of different macrotherm native species were collected in coastal and hilly especially on sandy substrates dry and/or salty (Tabb.1,2)Now there are being studied 29 monocots and 5 dicots and for each ecotypes some morphometrical aspects were mesured (Tab. 3).

Medicago sp.

Lotu sp.

Potentilla reptans L. Trifolium repens L.

Cynodon dactylon L.

Paspalum paspaloides (Michx.) Scribner

3. RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS

4501305640701200MATERABASILICATA

4491214650379200MONTESCAGLIOSOBASILICATA

44840126662750GINOSAPUGLIA

44614676565090PISTICCIBASILICATA

44413316422340POLICOROBASILICATA

43769625788770DIAMANTECALABRIA

44384475157610ASCEACAMPANIA

46612234784430VASTOMOLISE

4668620301916400FERONIALAZIO

Coord WGS 84 NORTH

Coord WGS 84 EAST

ALTITUDE m a.s.l.LOCALITYREGION

1.INTRODUCTION

In Italy, many species from foreign countries were introduced by some public and private institutions for economic development, recreational uses, or environmental improvements, such as erosion control, restoration and beautification of landscaping along the highways.

In Italy as a result of a national research program supported by Ministry of Environment (MATTM) 1023 non native species (IAS) have been identified. Among them, turfgrasses species can be considered some of the most easily spread. The production and planting of turfgrasses are a fast developing business with a growing demand for easy to use materials that is often set up using non native species.

This paper reports the first results of an Italian research project, financed by the Italian Ministry ofAgriculture, named Mi.T.E.A.Med 'Miglioramento dei tappeti erbosi in ambiente mediterraneo: impiego dispecie endemiche e ottimizzazione delle tecniche di impianto' (Improved turfgrass in Mediterranean environment: use of endemic species of plant and optimization techniques ).

Mediterranean Study Area and Sites in Italy

The Mi.T.E.A.Med research results suggest that Mediterranean adapted native grass species are worth investigating for turfgrass making as mono [e.g. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] and polycultures (e.g. Potentilla reptans L., Trifolium repens L., Lotus corniculatus L.) for their performance advantages and low resource use (especially water requirement). These species can be used as promising alternatives to conventional non-native turfgrasses.

Tab. 2 List of ecotypes collected

Tab. 1 List of sites collected

151618005,28,6A5 Mp

1223180010,5312,1A4 Mg

1137,90006,214,6AZ_P3

12181,57004,57,61AZ_P2

00150272,67,49AZ_P1

1121,728029,43,872,6A7

1028,829225,21,535,2A6

1218,813016,91,932A3

1122,434044,22,475A2

1125,225023,32,646,5A1

1438,62120152,769,8Pa4

1019,51,519,8153,860Pa3

000,56592,985Pa1

1034,723710,6339AZ_P5

16171180143,645C_O1bis

1222234232,856C_O1

559160351,3425

4620,5622031304

559160351,3423

1033,2230000G3

837180223110G2

8430,545202,9120G1

654238151,7648R

5500,550204,11255R

647,60,550204,11252R

759,7240161,7671R

1820,36130000Vg

19320,51473,631Vf

113017013,32,527,7Ve

15150,522153,918,6Vd

1834,8157153,242Vc

1028,700161,514Vb

728,700320,942,6Va

1631,5235151,752P_P2

average ofstolones

rootedstolon

length mmroot width

mmroot lengthinternodes

lengthwidth leaf

mmlength leaf

mmCod

Tab.3 Database reporting plant morphological aspects

At this stage biometric data (Tab. 4) on the Cynodon spp. characteristics have been used in PCA (Fig.2) in which the first dimension absorbs 56% of the total variability while the second 35%.

2Medicago sp.

1Lotus sp.

1Potentilla reptans

1natural Poa pratensis

1natural Trifolium repens

3natural Paspalum paspaloides

25natural Cynodon dactylon

NUMBER OF ACCESSIONSECOTYPES

l_root

w_root

l_stolon

n_internodesw_leaf

l_leaf

average_internodes

Vb

Vc

Ve

Vf

Vg

P_P2

Pa4

1R

2R

8R

G1

G2

G3

C_O1

C_O1bis

3

4

5

A1A2

A3

A6

A7

AZ_P530-60 -40 -20 20 40 60 80 100

Component 1 (56% l_root)

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

40

60

Com

pone

nt 2

(

35%

l_le

af)

10452,616,930140Median

4,010436,03771,1654810,382514,92530,77835338,7558Stand. dev

16,08331298,711,35833107,796222,7640,6058331502,01Variance

0,8020817,207530,2330952,076492,985060,1556717,75117Std. error

10,254,62,3819,31634,41441,2851,352Mean

255136559,5482,9860,36321283,8Sum

191304,144,2623180Max

40001500Min

25252525252525N

average_internodesl_leafw_leafn_interno

desl_stolonw_rootl_root

Tab. 4 Univariate statistic on biometric measure of Cynodon spp.

Fig. 2 PCA on Cynodon spp. ecotypes

The next phase of the project expects to make growing tests in a controlled environmental conditions to confirm the biometric and morphological characteristics of the samples collected and carry out stress tests to identify ecotypes with low water requirements and salinity resistence.

The PCA therefore allows to discriminate the different Cynodon ecotypes primarily in function of root length (l_root) and leaf lenght (l_leaf).

w_l

eaf

l_in

tern

l_ro

ot

w_r

oot

l_st

olon

n_st

olon

l_le

af

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Y

Fig. 1 Distribution of morphologigal aspects