Draft Program: Summer dormancy in grasses: Coping with increasing aridity and heat under climate change

Purpose: Present current knowledge of theoretical and applied aspects of summer dormancy in grasses and plant strategies to cope with severe drought and other climatic extremes. Discuss implications for research directions and integration into sustainable agricultural and environmental uses.

Format: Invited plenary papers and volunteer posters. Proceedings will be published.

Day 1 8:00 - 17:00 Paper sessions and discussions
1. Biological aspects of summer dormancy
a. Definitions and overview.
b. Ecophysiological characteristics
c. Physiology of induction and release
d. Winter vs. summer dormancy
e. Measurement
2. Agricultural and environmental aspects of survival under summer stress
a. Stress tolerance and persistence - field performance
i. US Southern Plains
ii. Australia
iii. Mediterranean Basin
b. Genetics and breeding
i. US Southern Plains
ii. North Africa
iii. Australia/New Zealand
iv. South America

Day 2 - Field trip to Vernon, TX and at Noble Foundation

Day 3 - 8:00 - 13:00 Paper Session 2 continued
c. Integration into pastoral, turf, and restoration systems
i. Pastoral systems
ii. Modelling
iii. Mediterranean systems for protection and multiuse of lands
iv. Turf applications in water-limited environments
3. Synthesis and future directions