Research

The ResistPoa project is an interdisciplinary collective of weed, turf, and social -scientists who are actively pursuing multiple avenues of research necessary to overcome the “wicked problem” that is Poa annua.

Sixteen faculty at 14 separate institutions, as well as numerous staff and students, are taking part in a United States Department of Agriculture – Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to evaluate the distribution of herbicide resistant annual bluegrass in the United States and means of preventing or overcoming that herbicide resistance.

The team will also be evaluating non-chemical means of weed control, including both common cultural practices and natural pesticides. They’ll also be investigating the ecology and biology of this fascinating yet troublesome plant species.

Conduct field surveys to document the extent of annual bluegrass susceptibility/resistance to key turf herbicides and develop methods for rapid resistance detection.
Screen turfgrass seed sources for contamination of resistant annual bluegrass.
Determine target and non-target site resistance mechanisms, as well as genetic relationships of annual bluegrass populations.
Generate information to fill critical knowledge gaps on the biology and ecology of annual bluegrass, such as the determination of seedling emergence patterns and seedbank persistence.
Evaluate non-chemical control strategies, such as fraze-mowing, grass species/variety selection, as well as nutrient and irrigation management.
Screen common “natural/organic” alternatives for control of annual bluegrass.
Identify and address socio-economic barriers to the adoption of herbicide resistance best management practices (BMPs) through techniques, such as focus groups, survey tools, and economic analysis.