Collection and preliminary characterisation of native turfgrass accessions of Cynodon dactylon L. in the Mediterranean area

In Italy, the turfgrasses receiving the most frequent and widespread use are usually the cool season turf species, mainly of foreign origin. These grasses often show poor adaptability to the major constraints of a Mediterranean-type environment, which includes frequent and severe water stress and salinity stress, resulting in a negative effect on turfgrass quality and persistence. In southern Italy, particularly in coastal areas, the warm season native turf species are of considerable interest due to their low water requirements and their tolerance to high temperatures and salinity. The native populations of turf species represent an important source of genetic variability that can be used to support specific plant breeding programmes. In this study, morphological traits were measured in a collection of 23 C. dactylon accessions collected in south-central Italy in order to evaluate the turfgrass potential of native grass species. Data was analysed using multivariate analysis. C. dactylon ecotypes showed a high variability in leaf morphology. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis clearly separated the selected ecotypes into two main groups corresponding to habitat type. Expanding the current knowledge on native C. dactylon diversity is a key step toward the identification of suitable candidates for designing low-input environmental friendly turfgrass systems.