Studying Toxic Microbes in Grasses

Reader Comments
Back to article

Beth, I think you missed the point. The research is to investigate why some native grasses are toxic and why some aren’t, and what environmental factors maintain this variation. This research involves only native grasses and doesn’t produce toxic grasses for golf grasses. However, nearly all turf and pasture grasses (including those likely in your own front or backyard) have already been manipulated by the lawn and turf industry to have endophytes that increase tolerance to drought resistance or resistance to insect pests. These have been planted everywhere across North and South America and Australia and New Zealand since the 1950’s. Some of these may become invasive to surrounding plant communities and therefore are a concern to ecologists - not so much because of their toxicity but because they may outcompete native grasses and plants.

Robert Montgomery of CO 1:18PM July 21, 2010

Plant the toxic grass on Golf courses?. Now that is a reason to risk the whole nations food sources by encouraging deadly grass species. What happens when it spreads to nearby fields and starts killing deer and wildlife and then cattle? Grass spreads by seeds that stick to fabric and shoes and blows in the wind! Oh but we all know Golf is the most important thing to each person to stay alive and healthy!! Shhhhhhhhhhhhsh! When will we ever learn!?

Beth Boyle of NY 4:15PM July 19, 2010