Registration of ‘Matchless’ Kentucky bluegrass

Abstract

The Inland Pacific Northwest is the largest Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seed production area worldwide. Historically, farmers in Washington burnt Kentucky bluegrass residues, a common practice for pathogen control, pest management and maximum economic revenue. Washington State implements air quality and fire safety burn bans under certain conditions to protect public health and safety. Outside of Native American reservations, burning of Kentucky bluegrass has been outlawed in Washington state, which raised the need for breeding a new Kentucky bluegrass cultivar that will have good yield without burning. ‘Matchless’ (Reg. no. CV-102, PI 701401, PVP 202200523) Kentucky bluegrass is a common-type cultivar released in 2023. Matchless was selected for its superior yield without burning crop residues, derived from the common-type cultivar ‘Kenblue’, in an open-pollinated nursery in Pullman, WA. Matchless was compared to Kenblue, ‘America’, ‘Baron’, and other standard cultivars, and exhibited taller plant height, longer leaf sheath length, and longer panicle length, among other traits. Matchless outperformed Kenblue in turf quality and exhibited similar spring green-up. The combination of statistically significant differences in traits makes Matchless a unique cultivar. It is distinct from its parental cultivar Kenblue and other common-type cultivars and performs and adapts well for use in home lawns, parks, and reclamation projects.