Response to salt stress imposed on cultivars of three turfgrass species: Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne, and Puccinellia distans

Abstract Cool‐season turfgrasses can be subjected to salt stress through a variety of sources, and selection for salt tolerance is an increasingly high priority. Two of the main turfgrass species in temperate regions are perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) (PRG) and Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.) (KBG), and greenhouse evaluations have occurred to rank and characterize salt tolerance in each species. However, salt tolerance in a field setting in a semiarid climate has not been tested, and the genetic mechanisms by which each species specifically responds to salt stress is still unclear. In this study, we evaluated salt tolerance of 10 PRG and 12 KBG entries in a field setting and compare their salt tolerances to two alkaligrass cultivars. Using electrolyte leakage (EL) and turf green cover, tolerant and susceptible cultivars and accessions were identified from both species. Transcriptome‐level gene expression analysis was applied on a subset of the entries, and 62 differentially expressed transcripts were shared among the three species with a preponderance of transcripts involving carbohydrate metabolism, oxidation‐reduction processes, and ion transport within the cell. Upon further gene enrichment analysis of KBG, more transcripts in those three categories were found. The differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) represent mechanisms by which PRG and KBG respond to salt stress, as well as targets for selection for salt tolerance.