DNA fingerprinting for turf variety ID

We occasionally get inquiries from turf managers who need to know exactly which bermudagrass turf variety (or varieties) they are dealing with in sprigs or sod. In the past, this has been almost impossible to determine definitively, but thanks to the development of DNA fingerprinting techniques, clear answers can now be determined.

The laboratory of Dr. Geunhwa Jung, at the University of Massachusetts, has a turfgrass DNA fingerprinting service available, as described here. The procedure can be expensive to conduct,…