Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass

- OMS Investments, Inc.

A variety of Kentucky Bluegrass having a high level of resistane to leaf spot and melting out disease; a medium to high level of resistance to several rust diseases and dollar spot; a dark green color throughout the growing season; a good level of drought tolerance; high quality dense persistent turf formation under a wide variety of environmental conditions; and a medium level of seed yielding capacity.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Poa pratensis that has been designated Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass.

2. Description of Related Art

Kentucky bluegrasses have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 3,156, issued May 9, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 3,186, issued May 23, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 4,336, issued Nov. 28, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 6,280, issued Sep. 6, 1988; U.S. Pat. Nos. P.P. 6,538 and 6,538, issued on Jan. 17, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 6,585, issued Feb. 7, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 7,831, issued Mar. 17, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 8,490, issued Dec. 7, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 9,036, issued Jan. 3, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. P.P. 9,209, issued Jul. 18, 1995; and pending U.S. Plant patent applications Ser. No. 08/453,864, filed May 30, 1995, and Ser. No. 08/532,995, filed Sep. 22, 1995.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

Ba 77-279 plant material originated by crossing Ba73-709, an unreleased Kentucky bluegrass plant maintained in the O. M. Scott plant nursery, as the seed parent with a Merion Kentucky bluegrass plant as the pollen parent. As a result of this breeding, a distinct variety was produced and asexually propagated by rhizomes, tillers and disseminules.

Seed of Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass was produced first at Marysville, Ohio and later at Gervais, Oreg. This seed was used to plant turf performance evaluation trials and later seed production fields. Asexual production of Ba 77-279 by propagules (tillers and rhizomes) and by disseminules (modified caryopses produced by apomixis) has consistently produced progeny plants indistinguishable from the mother plant. The apomixis level of Ba 77-279 is approximately 89% based upon examining seedling characeristics of approximately 100 to 150 seedlings from different crop years in a growth chamber.

Ba 77-279 has a number of highly desirable characteristics including a high level of resistance to Drechslera spp. that causes leaf spot, melting out and crown rot; a medium to high level of resistance to Puccinia spp. that causes several types of rust infections and Schlerotinia homoeocarpa that causes dollar spot. Ba 77-279 has an attractive leafy turf growth habit; moderately wide leaf blades and an attractive dark green color which can be maintained throughout the entire growing season. Ba 77-279 demonstrates good drought tolerance and excellent turf performance as evidenced by consistently high scores for quality, color and density. Ba 77-279 has a medium seed yield potential in the bluegrass seed production region of the northwestern U.S.

In comparison with a number of other bluegrass varieties, Ba 77-279 is average for seed size, number of whorls per panicle, vegetative leaf width, and ligule length. Ba 77-279 is below average in panicle length and width, number of florets per spikelet, flag leaf and vegetative leaf length and width, peduncle length and width, culm length and lemma hair content. Ba 77-279 is above average in spikelet width.

In comparison to many other varieties, Ba 77-279 is significantly greater in rachella length, spikelet length, flag leaf ligule length and internode length. Ba 77-279 has significantly less number of branches per whorl in the panicle, number of nodes in the culm and vegetative leaf ligule hair content as compared with other Bluegrass varieties. In comparison to most varieties, Ba 77-279 is significantly greater in outer and inner glume length and flag leaf thickness. Ba 77-279 is much darker green than either of its parents (Ba73-709 and Merion).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass panicle;

FIG. 2 is a Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass seed; and

FIG. 3 is a Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass plant shortly after completing anthesis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Ba 77-279 Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is perennial with creeping rhizomes forming a dense turf. When plants overwinter in the field under freezing temperatures and are then brought into the greenhouse during late winter to continue growth undisturbed by clipping under moderate temperatures (60.degree.-80.degree. F.), culms are erect averaging 36.3 cm in length and 3.0 nodes per culm and the uppermost internode averages 12.7 cm in length. The peduncle averages 20.0 cm in length and 0.64 mm in width. The flag leaf averages 4.7 cm in length, 3.5 mm in width and 0.29 mm in thickness and the ligule 1.5 mm in length. The vegetative leaf averages 17.4 cm in length, 3.4 mm in width, 0.345 mm in thickness and a ligule length of 0.22 mm.

The panicle averages 77.1 mm in length, 66.0 mm in width, and 9.2 whorls. The lowest whorl averages 2.3 branches and the third whorl from the button of the panicle average 2.1 branches. A spikelet in the lowest whorl averages 5.4 mm in length, 2.6 mm in width, 3.1 florets and the outer glume and inner glume average 3.7 and 4.1 mm in length, respectively. A spikelet from the third whorl from the bottom of the panicle is 5.3 mm in length, 2.9 mm in width, 3.1 florets, and the outer glume and inner glume averages 3.7 and 4.0 mm in length, respectively.

The conditioned seed of Ba 77-279 averages 2.99 mm in length, 0.85 mm in width, and a rachilla length of 0.82 mm. The seed count for Ba 77-279 averages approximately 1,039,000 seeds per pound.

Comparisions of Ba 77-279 with other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties in terms of seed dimension and seed numbers per pound are shown in Tables 1 and 2 as follows:

                TABLE 1                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Seed and Rachilla Measurements and            
     Lemma Hair of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties at         
     Marysville, OH After Conditioning                                         
            Seed                                                               
     Variety  Length mm Width mm Rachilla mm                                   
                                         Lemma* Hair                           
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
              2.99      .85      .82     3.4                                   
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
              3.23      0.89     0.88    4.2                                   
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
              3.04      0.91     0.80    4.4                                   
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
              3.00      0.94     0.86    4.9                                   
     Abbey    2.97      0.89     0.80    3.8                                   
     Adelphi  2.70      0.84     0.65    4.4                                   
     America  2.40      0.68     0.68    2.8                                   
     Baron    3.08      0.81     0.71    5.0                                   
     Bristol  2.94      0.88     0.73    4.3                                   
     Chateau  2.81      0.86     0.71    4.5                                   
     Coventry 2.71      0.81     0.70    4.0                                   
     Eclipse  2.77      0.83     0.68    3.5                                   
     Georgetown                                                                
              2.94      0.82     0.74    4.9                                   
     Gnome    2.78      0.83     0.75    4.1                                   
     Kelly    3.07      0.89     0.75    4.2                                   
     Marquis  2.97      0.87     0.83    4.7                                   
     Midnight 2.94      0.76     0.78    5.7                                   
     Nassau   3.07      0.86     0.68    3.4                                   
     Ram I    3.23      0.89     0.80    6.0                                   
     Touchdown                                                                 
              2.93      0.88     0.71    4.6                                   
     Victa    3.00      0.80     0.82    3.5                                   
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
              0.16      0.05     0.13    0.86                                  
     ______________________________________                                    
      *Rating Scale: 0-9; 9 = abundant row of hairs                            
                TABLE 2                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Comparison of Seed Numbers Per Pound of Ba 77-279 and Other               
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties at Marysville, OH After Conditioning         
     Variety       Seeds Per Pound                                             
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279     1,039,000                                                   
     Ba 74-114       978,000                                                   
     Ba 73-366     1,025,586                                                   
     Ba 73-381     1,171,000                                                   
     Abbey         1,003,037                                                   
     Adelphi       1,383,976                                                   
     America       1,659,824                                                   
     Baron         1,051,693                                                   
     Bristol       1,270,821                                                   
     Chateau       1,300,105                                                   
     Coventry      1,246,200                                                   
     Eclipse       1,335,668                                                   
     Georgetown    1,431,000                                                   
     Gnome         1,017,641                                                   
     Kelly           921,166                                                   
     Marquis       1,054,642                                                   
     Midnight      1,227,000                                                   
     Nassau        1,127,130                                                   
     Ram I         1,214,000                                                   
     Touchdown     1,211,000                                                   
     Victa         1,038,298                                                   
     ______________________________________                                    

Ba 77-279 differs significantly morphologically from many other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties in regard to the following characteristics: (1) seed length; (2) rachilla length; (3) panicle length; (4) number of branches in the whorl; (5) spikelet length and width; (6) glume length and width; (7) culm length and internode length; (8) flag leaf thickness; and (9) vegetative leaf with and sheath color.

Since environmental conditions such as soil and climate may influence morphological characteristics to some extent, comparisions of morphological characteristics of Ba 77-279 were made with other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties and the comparisons are set forth in the following Tables 3-8:

                TABLE 3                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Panicles, Whorl Number and Whorl              
     Branches of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in the       
     Greenhouse at Marysville, OH                                              
                                  Number of                                    
     Panicles                     Branches                                     
                      Length  Width Whorl Lowest                               
                                                Third                          
     Variety Nodding* mm      mm    Number                                     
                                          Whorl Whorl                          
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
             2.4      77.1    66.0  9.2   2.3   2.1                            
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
             2.0      88.8    62.0  9.3   2.1   2.1                            
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
             1.6      88.8    68.4  8.8   4.3   3.7                            
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
             1.1      80.2    55.3  9.8   4.1   3.9                            
     Abbey   1.6      80.4    59.3  9.3   3.8   3.3                            
     Adelphi 1.8      106.8   76.4  10.0  3.6   3.0                            
     America 2.3      67.7    51.1  8.8   3.3   3.5                            
     Baron   2.2      92.6    71.0  10.0  3.4   2.8                            
     Bristol 2.0      85.5    61.5  8.4   2.8   2.7                            
     Chateau 2.9      65.2    57.3  8.5   3.3   2.8                            
     Coventry                                                                  
             2.5      64.0    54.2  8.4   3.3   2.5                            
     Eclipse 1.3      89.2    74.0  10.7  3.3   2.1                            
     Georgetown                                                                
             1.0      80.0    57.0  7.4   2.1   2.6                            
     Gnome   1.1      80.6    56.0  10.6  4.6   3.9                            
     Kelly   2.0      88.0    70.2  9.8   4.6   3.7                            
     Marquis 1.1      82.0    63.0  10.3  3.9   3.6                            
     Midnight                                                                  
             2.0      75.8    48.4  7.1   2.9   3.0                            
     Nassau  2.2      91.2    68.6  10.0  2.5   2.1                            
     Ram I   1.3      67.7    47.0  7.3   3.0   3.2                            
     Touchdown                                                                 
             1.1      73.1    75.0  7.6   2.1   2.3                            
     Victa   1.7      74.9    58.3  10.0  4.7   3.5                            
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
             0.68     7.35    8.62  0.66  0.72  0.50                           
     ______________________________________                                    
      *Rate Scale: 1-9; 9 = most nodding                                       
                TABLE 4                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Spikelets and Florets of Ba 77-279 and        
     Other Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in the Greenhouse at Marysville, OH    
                              Number                                           
            Spikelet*         of Florets                                       
            Lowest Whorl                                                       
                      Third Whorl Per Spikelet                                 
              Length  Width   Length                                           
                                    Width Lowest                               
                                                Third                          
     Variety  mm      mm      mm    mm    Whorl Whorl                          
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
              5.4     2.6     5.3   2.9   3.1   3.1                            
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
              5.6     3.2     5.6   3.3   4.1   4.1                            
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
              4.6     2.5     4.7   2.6   2.6   2.8                            
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
              4.7     2.4     4.6   2.6   2.7   2.7                            
     Abbey    4.4     2.2     4.5   2.2   3.0   3.0                            
     Adelphi  4.6     2.2     4.8   2.2   4.4   4.4                            
     America  4.6     2.2     4.4   2.3   4.5   4.3                            
     Baron    5.4     2.8     5.4   3.1   4.0   4.2                            
     Bristol  4.9     2.4     5.0   2.5   4.2   4.5                            
     Chateau  4.4     2.4     4.4   2.4   3.4   3.5                            
     Coventry 4.4     2.2     4.5   2.4   3.2   3.5                            
     Eclipse  4.6     2.4     4.6   2.4   3.6   3.6                            
     Georgetown                                                                
              5.0     2.3     5.0   2.6   4.8   4.9                            
     Gnome    4.6     2.5     4.6   2.9   3.2   3.2                            
     Kelly    5.1     2.5     5.2   2.8   3.7   3.8                            
     Marquis  4.3     2.2     4.4   2.3   3.1   2.9                            
     Midnight 5.3     2.5     5.5   2.4   4.4   4.7                            
     Nassau   4.7     2.6     4.8   3.0   4.2   4.3                            
     Ram I    5.4     2.6     5.3   2.8   3.6   3.4                            
     Touchdown                                                                 
              5.1     2.9     4.8   2.8   4.1   4.0                            
     Victa    4.5     2.5     4.5   2.4   3.3   3.2                            
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
              0.41    0.35    0.38  0.35  0.58  0.53                           
     ______________________________________                                    
      *Microscope measurements                                                 
                TABLE 5                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Glumes of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky        
     Bluegrass Varieties in the Greenhouse at Marysville, OH                   
                          Glume Hairs*                                         
     Glume Length (mm)      Lowest   Third                                     
     Outer          Inner       Whorl    Whorl                                 
            Lowest  Third   Lowest                                             
                                  Third      In-      In-                      
     Variety                                                                   
            Whorl   Whorl   Whorl Whorl Outer                                  
                                             ner Outer                         
                                                      ner                      
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
            3.7     3.7     4.1   4.0   2.1  3.0 2.0  2.3                      
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
            3.5     3.3     3.9   3.8   2.6  3.2 2.2  2.8                      
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
            2.8     2.8     3.2   3.1   1.7  1.3 1.3  2.0                      
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
            2.8     2.9     3.2   3.1   1.7  2.3 2.1  2.3                      
     Abbey  2.7     2.7     3.1   3.1   0.6  0.9 1.0  1.0                      
     Adelphi                                                                   
            2.7     2.6     3.0   3.1   0.6  2.7 1.1  1.9                      
     America                                                                   
            2.1     2.1     2.5   2.5   0.2  0.5 0.3  0.3                      
     Baron  3.1     3.2     3.6   3.7   4.8  4.4 4.2  4.6                      
     Bristol                                                                   
            2.8     3.0     3.3   3.4   1.0  2.2 0.8  2.2                      
     Chateau                                                                   
            2.8     2.9     3.1   3.2   1.5  2.6 2.0  1.8                      
     Coventry                                                                  
            2.7     2.8     3.1   3.1   1.5  2.7 1.6  2.4                      
     Eclipse                                                                   
            3.0     3.0     3.4   3.4   1.5  1.9 1.8  1.9                      
     George-                                                                   
            2.8     2.8     3.1   3.1   1.7  2.7 1.2  2.4                      
     town                                                                      
     Gnome  2.8     2.9     3.3   3.3   1.0  1.9 1.2  1.6                      
     Kelly  3.0     3.1     3.4   3.5   1.3  1.5 1.1  0.8                      
     Marquis                                                                   
            2.8     2.7     3.1   3.1   0.9  1.1 1.7  1.8                      
     Midnight                                                                  
            2.6     2.6     3.0   3.1   1.8  2.8 1.0  2.4                      
     Nassau 2.6     2.7     2.9   3.0   2.1  2.6 4.2  4.4                      
     Ram I  2.9     3.0     3.6   3.5   1.1  2.3 0.7  1.2                      
     Touch- 3.3     3.3     3.8   3.8   0.7  2.1 1.1  1.4                      
     down                                                                      
     Victa  2.8     2.7     3.1   3.1   0.8  1.1 1.1  1.3                      
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
            0.23    0.22    0.22  0.23  0.9  0.9 0.9  0.9                      
     ______________________________________                                    
      *Rating Scale: 0-9; 9 = many hairs                                       
                TABLE 6                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Flag Leaves of Ba 77-279 and Other            
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in the Greenhouse at Marysville, OH          
             Length  Width   Thickness                                         
                                    Leaf  Leaf  Ligule                         
     Variety cm      mm      mm     Angle.sup.1/                               
                                          Curve.sup.2/                         
                                                mm                             
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
             4.7     3.5     0.29   2.1   4.5   1.5                            
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
             5.3     3.4     0.23   1.4   5.0   1.2                            
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
             4.5     3.6     0.18   5.1   4.4   1.5                            
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
             4.3     3.5     0.22   1.9   5.0   1.3                            
     Abbey   3.8     3.4     0.14   2.7   4.1   1.3                            
     Adelphi 5.7     3.4     0.18   5.2   5.0   1.1                            
     America 4.3     2.6     0.21   4.6   5.0   0.6                            
     Baron   7.0     4.2     0.15   9.2   4.4   1.2                            
     Bristol 4.3     3.2     0.21   2.3   5.0   0.6                            
     Chateau 4.0     2.7     0.19   3.4   2.0   0.9                            
     Coventry                                                                  
             3.7     3.0     0.14   0.7   4.3   0.9                            
     Eclipse 3.9     3.2     0.19   8.7   5.0   1.1                            
     Georgetown                                                                
             5.7     2.8     0.22   1.9   5.0   0.6                            
     Gnome   4.5     3.5     0.18   4.3   5.0   0.8                            
     Kelly   4.8     4.1     0.18   3.1   4.4   1.5                            
     Marquis 5.5     3.6     0.24   2.7   4.6   0.8                            
     Midnight                                                                  
             3.8     2.6     0.19   1.1   5.0   0.4                            
     Nassau  6.0     3.7     0.19   5.9   4.7   1.1                            
     Ram I   3.4     3.1     0.19   1.0   4.8   0.7                            
     Touchdown                                                                 
             4.1     2.7     0.16   3.4   4.1   1.1                            
     Victa   3.9     3.7     0.27   2.1   4.6   1.3                            
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
             1.0     0.42    0.025  2.50  0.40  0.17                           
     ______________________________________                                    
                        Hairs.sup.3/                                           
                          Leaf            Sheath                               
                  Variety Margin  Ligule  Color.sup.4/                         
     ______________________________________                                    
                  Ba 77-279                                                    
                          0.6     0.7     0.9                                  
                  Ba 74-114                                                    
                          0.5     2.1     1.8                                  
                  Ba 73-366                                                    
                          0.4     2.2     0.5                                  
                  Ba 73-381                                                    
                          0.4     3.6     1.5                                  
                  Abbey   0.8     1.6     0.2                                  
                  Adelphi 1.8     1.6     0.4                                  
                  America 0.4     0.7     1.9                                  
                  Baron   1.0     3.8     2.6                                  
                  Bristol 0.4     1.9     2.0                                  
                  Chateau 1.1     3.1     0.3                                  
                  Coventry                                                     
                          0.8     1.7     2.0                                  
                  Eclipse 1.0     1.0     0.2                                  
                  Georgetown                                                   
                          0.6     2.0     2.0                                  
                  Gnome   0.9     3.2     1.5                                  
                  Kelly   1.1     2.5     2.2                                  
                  Marquis 0.5     3.8     1.5                                  
                  Midnight                                                     
                          0.4     0.3     2.0                                  
                  Nassau  2.6     2.4     0.8                                  
                  Ram I   0.5     1.3     2.0                                  
                  Touchdown                                                    
                          1.0     1.0     7.7                                  
                  Victa   1.0     0.8     0.5                                  
                  LSD (.05)                                                    
                          0.47    0.70    0.76                                 
     ______________________________________                                    
      .sup.1/ Degrees from the stem                                            
      .sup.2/ Rating Scale: 1-9; 1 = curves up; 5 = no curve; 9 = curves down  
      .sup.3/ Rating Scale: 0-9; 0 = none; 9 = many                            
      .sup.4/ Rating Scale: 0-9; 0 = no color; 9 = dark purple                 
                TABLE 7                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Peduncles, Culms, Node Numbers Per            
     Culm and Internode Length of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky Bluegrass       
     Varieties in the Greenhouse at Marysville, OH                             
                               Culm          Top                               
             Peduncle Peduncle Length Nodes  Internode                         
     Variety Length cm                                                         
                      Width mm cm     Per Culm                                 
                                             Length cm                         
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
             20.0     0.64     36.3   3.0    12.7                              
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
             24.7     0.71     44.9   3.7    13.4                              
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
             26.4     0.70     42.7   4.1    9.2                               
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
             24.3     0.81     39.5   3.1    10.8                              
     Abbey   23.2     0.65     41.3   4.1    11.0                              
     Adelphi 24.5     0.66     40.0   4.0    10.4                              
     America 16.2     0.62     31.8   3.1    11.0                              
     Baron   34.0     0.70     52.8   4.2    12.8                              
     Bristol 22.9     0.73     43.5   4.0    12.6                              
     Chateau 20.7     0.61     38.9   4.4    9.9                               
     Coventry                                                                  
             19.6     0.49     34.7   4.5    7.9                               
     Eclipse 23.7     0.66     39.2   4.9    9.9                               
     Georgetown                                                                
             21.7     0.68     37.5   3.2    11.1                              
     Gnome   19.4     0.84     35.3   3.1    9.2                               
     Kelly   29.4     0.75     46.6   3.6    11.8                              
     Marquis 27.1     0.83     34.1   3.4    7.8                               
     Midnight                                                                  
             20.5     0.72     29.5   2.8    7.6                               
     Nassau  25.0     0.66     36.0   3.9    7.4                               
     Ram I   22.2     0.69     30.5   2.5    6.6                               
     Touchdown                                                                 
             23.6     0.52     38.0   4.0    8.4                               
     Victa   21.2     0.81     37.9   3.7    10.3                              
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
             3.17     0.077    3.32   0.44   1.94                              
     ______________________________________                                    
                TABLE 8                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Morphological Comparison of Vegetative Leaves of Ba 77-279 and Other      
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in the Greenhouse at Marysville, OH          
                     Thickness                                                 
                            Leaf                                               
     Variety Length cm                                                         
                      Width mm mm     Angle.sup.1/                             
                                             Curve.sup.2/                      
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
             17.4     3.4      0.34   67.9   5.5                               
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
             18.9     4.5      0.36   50.9   5.0                               
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
             22.9     3.8      0.40   53.0   7.1                               
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
             22.1     3.3      0.30   62.5   8.2                               
     Abbey   20.7     3.6      0.28   51.3   7.4                               
     Adelphi 19.4     3.7      0.28   67.0   4.6                               
     America 21.4     3.1      0.32   66.0   6.4                               
     Baron   18.2     4.3      0.29   35.0   4.4                               
     Bristol 18.2     3.7      0.32   65.5   6.9                               
     Chateau 23.1     3.3      0.33   39.7   5.4                               
     Coventry                                                                  
             23.4     3.6      0.25   63.0   7.3                               
     Eclipse 20.3     4.4      0.30   65.5   5.4                               
     Georgetown                                                                
             19.5     3.6      0.29   56.7   5.8                               
     Gnome   18.2     2.9      0.29   43.2   6.6                               
     Kelly   22.8     3.9      0.30   55.5   7.0                               
     Marquis 19.7     3.7      0.38   46.4   7.8                               
     Midnight                                                                  
             19.5     3.5      0.31   63.3   5.0                               
     Nassau  16.3     3.7      0.29   63.2   4.9                               
     Ram I   19.1     3.6      0.27   70.8   6.5                               
     Touchdown                                                                 
             16.7     3.7      0.24   51.3   4.0                               
     Victa   21.5     3.6      0.36   56.3   6.7                               
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
             3.50     0.43     0.044  15.90  1.54                              
     ______________________________________                                    
                Hairs.sup.3/                                                   
             Ligule   Leaf     Leaf   Sheath  Sheath                           
     Variety Length mm                                                         
                      Ligule   Margin Roughness.sup.4/                         
                                              Color.sup.5/                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279                                                                 
             0.22     1.5      2.0    8.8     0.2                              
     Ba 74-114                                                                 
             0.14     3.3      2.6    8.7     2.0                              
     Ba 73-366                                                                 
             0.23     5.2      4.2    8.5     0.0                              
     Ba 73-381                                                                 
             0.16     3.2      0.7    8.2     2.0                              
     Abbey   0.32     4.4      2.8    7.7     0.0                              
     Adelphi 0.34     2.6      3.4    8.8     0.0                              
     America 0.12     1.7      2.1    8.4     2.0                              
     Baron   0.33     4.6      3.6    7.4     0.4                              
     Bristol 0.12     2.6      3.0    8.9     2.0                              
     Chateau 0.22     3.3      3.1    7.8     0.5                              
     Coventry                                                                  
             0.32     3.1      2.4    8.1     0.3                              
     Eclipse 0.38     2.8      2.6    9.0     0.2                              
     Georgetown                                                                
             0.14     2.5      2.4    8.5     2.0                              
     Gnome   0.23     1.6      0.8    7.5     1.4                              
     Kelly   0.34     4.6      2.4    8.8     0.0                              
     Marquis 0.21     3.6      1.1    6.8     1.1                              
     Midnight                                                                  
             0.10     1.3      1.6    7.7     2.0                              
     Nassau  0.34     2.5      3.3    8.5     1.4                              
     Ram I   0.09     1.8      2.0    7.7     2.0                              
     Touchdown                                                                 
             0.29     1.4      1.3    7.9     8.0                              
     Victa   0.26     2.3      1.7    7.9     0.1                              
     LSD (.05)                                                                 
             0.045    0.79     0.70   0.89    0.57                             
     ______________________________________                                    
      .sup.1/ Degrees from the stem                                            
      .sup.2/ Rating Scale: 1-9; 1 = curves up; 5 = no curve; 9 = curves down  
      .sup.3/ Rating Scale: 0-9; 0 = none; 9 = many                            
      .sup.4/ Rating Scale: 1-9; 1 = rough; 9 = smooth                         
      .sup.5/ Rating Scale: 0-9; 0 = no color; 9 = dark purple color           

Ba 77-279 has been an outstanding performer as exhibited by high turf quality ratings and dark green color at a number of locations across the U.S. in comparison to other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties. With regard to a comparataive analysis conducted for purposes of determining color of Ba 77-279 plants relative to other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties, readings were taken of the vegetative color of Ba 77-279 during mid-May while the turf was actively growing with adequate nutrient and water availability. The readings were taken in full sun with several actively growing leaves being compared, one at a time, utilizing color chips from the Munsell Book of Color as a reference. On this basis, the color of Ba 77-279 was determined to be 7.5 GY 4/4. During the same time period, the color of similar leaves of other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties were determined by the same procedure to be as follows: Ba 74-114 -- 7.5 GY 4/4; Ba 73-381 -- 5 GY 4/4; Ba 73-366 -- 5 GY 4/4; Ba 73-540 -- 5 GY 4/4; Abbey -- 5 GY 3/4; and Coventry -- 5 GY 4/4. However, it should be noted that the general apparent color of turf does not always correlate directly with the color of the individual actively growing leaves within the turf and that turf color varies with nutrient level and time of year with some varieties being darker or lighter green depending on such factors.

Ba 77-279 demonstrates a dark green color which can be maintained throughout the growing season. It also has a medium wide leaf, good density and seedling vigor. Comparisons of Ba 77-279 with other Kentucky bluegrass varieties for quality, color, density and seedling vigor are set forth hereinafter in Tables

                TABLE 9                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Quality of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky Bluegrass         
     Varieties In Three Tests Conducted at Nineteen (19) Locations in the      
     U.S. in Three Tests Conducted.                                            
                Test (Annual Means)                                            
     Variety      A            B     C                                         
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279    6.1          6.4   5.9                                       
     Ba 73-366    5.5          5.5   5.3                                       
     Ba 73-381    5.4          5.6   5.3                                       
     Ba 74-114    5.3          5.6   5.1                                       
     Abbey        5.5          5.5   5.3                                       
     Able I       5.8          6.1   5.9                                       
     A-34         5.6          5.7   5.5                                       
     Banff        6.0          5.9   5.4                                       
     Baron        5.8          5.7   5.3                                       
     Classic      5.8          5.9   5.4                                       
     Coventry     5.9          6.0   5.7                                       
     Eclipse      5.9          6.2   6.0                                       
     Estate       5.9          5.9   5.6                                       
     Georgetown   5.9          5.9   5.4                                       
     Glade        6.2          6.0   5.6                                       
     Gnome        5.5          5.5   5.3                                       
     Haga         5.9          5.8   5.5                                       
     Kelly        5.5          5.4   5.2                                       
     Kenblue      4.6          4.5   4.3                                       
     Marquis      5.4          5.5   5.4                                       
     Merion       4.2          4.8   4.9                                       
     Merit        5.4          5.5   5.3                                       
     Midnight     6.2          6.4   6.3                                       
     Monopoly     5.3          5.5   5.3                                       
     Nassau       5.6          5.8   5.2                                       
     Ram I        6.1          5.9   5.4                                       
     South Dakota 4.1          4.2   4.2                                       
     Touchdown    5.5          5.9   5.5                                       
     LSD (.05)    0.3          0.2   0.2                                       
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = ideal turf                                        
                TABLE 10                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Genetic Color of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky             
     Bluegrass Varieties in Three Tests (A-C) Conducted at Ten (10)            
     Locations in the US                                                       
                TESTS (Annual Means)                                           
     Variety      A            B     C                                         
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279    6.9          6.8   7.2                                       
     Ba 74-114    7.0          7.2   7.2                                       
     Ba 73-366    5.5          5.5   5.9                                       
     Ba 73-381    6.0          5.7   6.4                                       
     Abbey        5.6          5.9   5.8                                       
     Able I       6.6          6.8   6.8                                       
     A-34         5.0          5.4   4.6                                       
     Banff        5.1          6.0   5.5                                       
     Baron        6.0          6.0   5.9                                       
     Classic      5.2          5.9   5.2                                       
     Coventry     5.9          5.6   5.8                                       
     Eclipse      6.3          6.6   6.4                                       
     Estate       5.8          5.3   5.3                                       
     Georgetown   5.2          6.1   5.3                                       
     Glade        6.7          6.3   6.7                                       
     Gnome        6.0          6.1   5.8                                       
     Haga         5.1          5.8   5.3                                       
     Kelly        5.6          5.7   6.1                                       
     Kenblue      4.6          5.0   5.3                                       
     Marquis      6.1          6.1   6.4                                       
     Merion       5.7          5.8   5.4                                       
     Merit        5.7          5.7   6.2                                       
     Midnight     7.1          7.3   7.7                                       
     Monopoly     4.8          4.9   4.8                                       
     Nassau       6.0          6.6   6.5                                       
     Ram I        6.7          5.9   6.6                                       
     South Dakota 4.5          4.8   4.7                                       
     Touchdown    5.5          5.5   5.3                                       
     LSD (.05)    0.5          0.4   0.7                                       
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = dark green.                                       
                TABLE 11                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Fall Density of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky              
     Bluegrass Varieties at Martinsville, New Jersey                           
     Variety        Fall Density                                               
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279      7.0                                                        
     Ba 73-366      5.3                                                        
     Ba 73-381      5.3                                                        
     Ba 74-114      5.7                                                        
     Abbey          4.7                                                        
     Able I         4.7                                                        
     A-34           5.7                                                        
     Banff          6.3                                                        
     Baron          5.7                                                        
     Classic        6.3                                                        
     Coventry       6.0                                                        
     Eclipse        5.3                                                        
     Estate         5.0                                                        
     Georgetown     6.7                                                        
     Glade          5.7                                                        
     Gnome          6.0                                                        
     Haga           6.7                                                        
     Kelly          5.0                                                        
     Kenblue        5.0                                                        
     Marquis        5.7                                                        
     Merion         3.7                                                        
     Merit          5.3                                                        
     Midnight       7.3                                                        
     Monopoly       5.0                                                        
     Nassau         5.3                                                        
     Ram I          6.7                                                        
     South Dakota   3.0                                                        
     Touchdown      5.7                                                        
     LSD (.05)      1.4                                                        
     ______________________________________                                    
      Ratings Scale: 1-9; 9 = maximum density                                  
                TABLE 12                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Leaf Texture of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky              
     Bluegrass Varieties at Martinsville, NJ.                                  
     Variety        Leaf Texture                                               
     ______________________________________                                    
     BA 77-279      5.3                                                        
     Ba 74-114      4.0                                                        
     Ba 73-366      4.3                                                        
     Ba 73-381      4.0                                                        
     Abbey          5.0                                                        
     Able I         5.7                                                        
     A-34           4.3                                                        
     Banff          5.3                                                        
     Baron          5.0                                                        
     Classic        5.3                                                        
     Coventry       5.0                                                        
     Eclipse        5.7                                                        
     Estate         4.3                                                        
     Georgetown     6.0                                                        
     Glade          5.0                                                        
     Gnome          5.3                                                        
     Haga           5.7                                                        
     Kelly          4.3                                                        
     Kenblue        6.0                                                        
     Marquis        4.3                                                        
     Merion         4.0                                                        
     Merit          4.7                                                        
     Midnight       6.7                                                        
     Monopoly       5.0                                                        
     Nassau         5.0                                                        
     Ram I          5.0                                                        
     South Dakota   3.7                                                        
     Touchdown      5.3                                                        
     LSD (.05)      0.9                                                        
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = very fine                                         
                TABLE 13                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Seedling Vigor of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky            
     Bluegrass Varieties at Six Locations in the the U.S. and Canada*          
     Variety       Seedling Vigor Mean                                         
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279     6.2                                                         
     Ba 73-366     6.3                                                         
     Ba 73-381     6.3                                                         
     Ba 74-114     5.3                                                         
     Abbey         6.4                                                         
     Able I        6.3                                                         
     A-34          6.0                                                         
     Banff         7.7                                                         
     Baron         6.7                                                         
     Classic       7.1                                                         
     Coventry      6.1                                                         
     Eclipse       6.1                                                         
     Estate        6.1                                                         
     Georgetown    7.0                                                         
     Glade         6.7                                                         
     Gnome         6.3                                                         
     Haga          7.1                                                         
     Kelly         6.6                                                         
     Kenblue       7.4                                                         
     Marquis       6.3                                                         
     Merion        2.6                                                         
     Merit         6.4                                                         
     Midnight      5.4                                                         
     Monopoly      7.1                                                         
     Nassau        6.4                                                         
     Ram I         6.5                                                         
     South Dakota  6.7                                                         
     Touchdown     5.8                                                         
     LSD (.05)     0.7                                                         
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = Maximum vigor                                     
      Locations: Fort Collins, CO; Post Falls, ID; North Brunswick, NJ; Adelphi
      NJ; Richmond Hill, Ontario; pooled data from Halsey, Hubbard and Gervais,
      OR.                                                                      

Turf diseases are one of the major causes of inconsistent and poor turf performance. Ba 77-279 has been found to have a high level of resistance to leaf spot and melting out caused by Drechslera poae (formerly called Helminthosporium vagans). Ba 77-279 furthermore has been found to have a medium to high level of resistance to dollar spot caused by Sclerotinia homoecarpa and to several rust diseases caused by Puccinia spp.

Comparisons of disease incidence of Ba 77-279 as compared with other Kentucky Bluegrass varieties in regard to leaf spot, dollar spot, and rusts, are presented in Tables 14-18.

                TABLE 14                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Leaf Spot Incidence in Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky       
     Bluegrass Varieties in Two (2) Tests Conducted at Seven (7) Locations     
     in the U.S.                                                               
                   Means                                                       
     Variety         Test 1* Test 2**                                          
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279       6.0     7.4                                               
     Ba 73-366       4.3     5.1                                               
     Ba 73-381       2.0     5.8                                               
     Ba 74-114       4.7     6.8                                               
     Abbey           4.7     5.1                                               
     Able I          6.0     7.1                                               
     A-34            4.7     5.4                                               
     Banff           4.7     5.9                                               
     Baron           4.0     5.4                                               
     Classic         3.3     5.4                                               
     Coventry        3.7     5.8                                               
     Eclipse         6.3     7.4                                               
     Estate          4.0     5.9                                               
     Georgetown      6.0     6.3                                               
     Glade           3.0     4.8                                               
     Gnome           3.7     5.7                                               
     Haga            3.7     5.9                                               
     Kelly           4.7     5.1                                               
     Kenblue         1.7     1.8                                               
     Marquis         3.7     5.6                                               
     Merion          7.3     7.3                                               
     Merit           4.3     5.4                                               
     Midnight        5.7     6.6                                               
     Monopoly        4.3     5.2                                               
     Nassau          4.3     6.2                                               
     Ram I           4.3     4.9                                               
     South Dakota    1.0     1.8                                               
     Touchdown       5.3     6.3                                               
     LSD (.05)       1.5     0.7                                               
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = no disease                                        
      *Locations: Pooled data from Halsey, Hubbard and Gervais, OR.            
      **Locations: Post Falls, ID; North Brunswick and Adelphia, NJ; Marysville
      OH LSD                                                                   
                TABLE 15                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Dollar Spot Disease Incidence of Ba 77-279 and Other      
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in Three (3) Tests Conducted at Five (5)     
     Locations in the U.S.                                                     
               Means                                                           
     Variety     Test A.sup.1                                                  
                             Test B.sup.2                                      
                                     Test C.sup.3                              
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279   8.3         7.8     7.0                                       
     Ba 73-366   8.3         7.1     6.2                                       
     Ba 73-381   7.3         6.6     6.4                                       
     Ba 74-114   8.3         7.9     4.8                                       
     Abbey       8.0         6.8     6.3                                       
     Able I      8.3         6.8     6.1                                       
     A-34        7.7         6.7     6.0                                       
     Banff       7.7         6.4     6.2                                       
     Baron       7.7         6.9     6.8                                       
     Classic     8.0         7.4     6.3                                       
     Coventry    7.7         5.9     5.9                                       
     Eclipse     8.3         7.5     7.2                                       
     Estate      8.3         5.3     5.6                                       
     Georgetown  8.0         6.9     6.1                                       
     Glade       7.7         7.0     6.4                                       
     Gnome       8.0         6.7     6.1                                       
     Haga        7.7         6.3     6.2                                       
     Kelly       8.0         7.3     6.3                                       
     Kenblue     8.0         6.8     6.8                                       
     Marquis     8.0         6.8     6.7                                       
     Merion      7.7         6.9     6.1                                       
     Merit       8.0         6.8     6.7                                       
     Midnight    8.3         8.0     6.6                                       
     Monopoly    8.0         7.1     6.7                                       
     Nassau      8.0         7.4     6.7                                       
     Ram I       7.3         6.0     4.9                                       
     South Dakota                                                              
                 8.0         7.3     5.8                                       
     Touchdown   8.0         6.8     6.1                                       
     LSD (.05)   0.9         1.1     0.8                                       
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = no disease                                        
      .sup.1 Locations: Kingston, RI                                           
      .sup.2 Locations: Urbana, IL; Adelphia, NJ; Kingston, RI; Haymarket, VA  
      .sup.3 Locations: Urbana, IL; Silver Spring, MD; Kingston, RI            
                TABLE 16                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Stem Rust Disease Incidence in Ba 77-279 and Other        
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties at Kingston, R.I.                            
     Variety        Stem Rust                                                  
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279      7.3                                                        
     Ba 73-366      6.7                                                        
     Ba 73-381      7.3                                                        
     Ba 74-114      5.7                                                        
     Abbey          7.0                                                        
     Able I         3.3                                                        
     A-34           4.3                                                        
     Banff          7.7                                                        
     Baron          7.0                                                        
     Classic        8.0                                                        
     Coventry       6.7                                                        
     Eclipse        4.0                                                        
     Estate         6.3                                                        
     Georgetown     8.7                                                        
     Glade          7.7                                                        
     Gnome          7.0                                                        
     Haga           8.0                                                        
     Kelly          8.0                                                        
     Kenblue        5.7                                                        
     Marquis        6.7                                                        
     Merion         1.0                                                        
     Merit          6.3                                                        
     Midnight       8.0                                                        
     Monopoly       6.3                                                        
     Nassau         8.0                                                        
     Ram I          8.0                                                        
     South Dakota   4.3                                                        
     Touchdown      2.3                                                        
     LSD (.05)      1.4                                                        
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = no disease                                        
                TABLE 17                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Leaf Rust Disease Incidence in Ba 77-279 and Other        
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties at Kingston, R.I.                            
     Variety        Leaf Rust                                                  
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279      6.0                                                        
     Ba 74-114      6.7                                                        
     Ba 73-366      5.7                                                        
     Ba 73-381      6.3                                                        
     Abbey          6.3                                                        
     Able I         7.0                                                        
     A-34           6.0                                                        
     Banff          7.0                                                        
     Baron          8.3                                                        
     Classic        8.7                                                        
     Coventry       7.0                                                        
     Eclipse        5.7                                                        
     Estate         6.3                                                        
     Georgetown     7.7                                                        
     Glade          7.0                                                        
     Gnome          6.7                                                        
     Haga           7.0                                                        
     Kelly          5.0                                                        
     Kenblue        6.7                                                        
     Marquis        6.3                                                        
     Merion         2.3                                                        
     Merit          6.0                                                        
     Midnight       6.0                                                        
     Monopoly       5.3                                                        
     Nassau         7.0                                                        
     Ram I          6.7                                                        
     South Dakota   6.7                                                        
     Touchdown      3.7                                                        
     LSD (.05)      2.4                                                        
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = no disease                                        
                TABLE 18                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Stripe Rust Disease Incidence in Ba 77-279 and Other      
     Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in Tests Conducted at Three Locations.sup.1/ 
     in                                                                        
     Oregon                                                                    
     Variety        Stripe Rust                                                
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279      6.0                                                        
     Ba 74-114      6.7                                                        
     Ba 73-366      5.0                                                        
     Ba 73-381      4.7                                                        
     Abbey          4.3                                                        
     Able I         6.0                                                        
     A-34           5.0                                                        
     Banff          6.0                                                        
     Baron          6.0                                                        
     Classic        6.3                                                        
     Coventry       5.0                                                        
     Eclipse        6.0                                                        
     Estate         5.7                                                        
     Georgetown     6.3                                                        
     Glade          3.0                                                        
     Gnome          4.7                                                        
     Haga           6.3                                                        
     Kelly          5.0                                                        
     Kenblue        3.3                                                        
     Marquis        5.3                                                        
     Merion         3.7                                                        
     Merit          5.0                                                        
     Midnight       4.7                                                        
     Monopoly       5.3                                                        
     Nassau         5.3                                                        
     Ram I          6.0                                                        
     South Dakota   4.0                                                        
     Touchdown      3.0                                                        
     LSD (.05)      1.2                                                        
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = no disease                                        
      .sup.1/ Pooled data from Halsey, Hubbard and Gervais, Oregon.            

Ba 77-279 has shown good drought tolerance and has a medium seed yielding capability. Comparisons for drought tolerance and seed yields of Ba 77-279 with other Kentucky Bluegrass are presented in Table 19-20.

                TABLE 19                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Drought Tolerance of Ba 77-279 and Other Kentucky         
     Bluegrass Varieties at Carbondale, IL.                                    
     Variety       Drought Tolerance                                           
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279     5.0                                                         
     Ba 73-366     3.0                                                         
     Ba 73-381     2.0                                                         
     Ba 74-114     3.0                                                         
     Abbey         3.7                                                         
     Able I        4.0                                                         
     A-34          4.0                                                         
     Banff         4.7                                                         
     Baron         3.0                                                         
     Classic       3.7                                                         
     Coventry      4.3                                                         
     Eclipse       4.0                                                         
     Estate        4.7                                                         
     Georgetown    4.0                                                         
     Glade         3.7                                                         
     Gnome         3.3                                                         
     Haga          4.0                                                         
     Kelly         2.7                                                         
     Kenblue       2.7                                                         
     Marquis       3.3                                                         
     Merion        3.7                                                         
     Merit         2.7                                                         
     Midnight      4.3                                                         
     Monopoly      2.7                                                         
     Nassau        3.3                                                         
     Ram I         4.7                                                         
     South Dakota  2.7                                                         
     Touchdown     4.7                                                         
     LSD (.05)     1.6                                                         
     ______________________________________                                    
      Rating Scale: 1-9; 9 = no dormancy                                       
                TABLE 20                                                    
     ______________________________________                                    
     A Comparison of Seed Yield in Pounds Per Acre of Ba 77-279 and            
     Coventry Kentucky Bluegrass In Two (2) Tests Conducted at Gervais,        
     Oregon.                                                                   
                     Test A  Test B                                            
     ______________________________________                                    
     Ba 77-279       672     382                                               
     Coventry        568     425                                               
     LSD (.05)       162      97                                               
     ______________________________________                                    

Claims

1. A variety of Kentucky Bluegrass plant, substantially as shown and described, characterized by a high level of resistance to leaf spot and melting out disease; a medium to high level of resistance to several rust diseases and dollar spot; a dark green color throughout the growing season; a good level of drought tolerance; high quality dense persistent turf formation under a wide variety of environmental conditions; and a medium level of seed yielding capacity.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
PP3156 May 1972 Fuchigami et al.
PP3186 May 1972 Barenbrug et al.
PP4336 November 28, 1978 Mayer et al.
PP6280 September 6, 1988 Meier et al.
PP6537 January 17, 1989 Meier et al.
PP6538 January 17, 1989 Meier et al.
PP6585 February 7, 1989 Meier et al.
PP7831 March 17, 1992 Meier et al.
PP8490 December 7, 1993 Meier et al.
PP9036 January 3, 1995 Meier et al.
PP9209 July 18, 1995 Meier et al.
PP9611 July 23, 1996 Meier
Patent History
Patent number: PP9977
Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 23, 1996
Date of Patent: Jul 22, 1997
Assignee: OMS Investments, Inc. (Wilmington, DE)
Inventors: Virgil D. Meier (Marysville, OH), Jay B. Burr (S.E. Salem, OR)
Primary Examiner: James R. Feyrer
Application Number: 8/604,763
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Plt/902
International Classification: A01H 500;