Te first year of any new trial is highly influenced
by establishment rate. Tis is especially true for the warm-season grasses as many entries are vegetatively propagated types. Typically, seeded entries establish quicker than vegetative types, and this is what we saw with this trial. In some cases, however, we did see significant improvement in establishment rate of new experimental entries. For example, at the Jay, FL, location in August, vegetative entries JSC-2-21-18-V and OKC-1163 had greater establishment ratings than the standard cultivar Tifway. In addition, the seeded entry OKS-2009-3 had significantly higher ground cover than Yukon, one of our seeded standards. At Raleigh, NC, JSC-2-21-V also had significantly higher establishment ratings than Tifway (91.7 percent vs. 46.7 percent) and MBG 002, a seeded entry, had much higher ground cover in September ratings than Yukon (96.3 percent vs. 15.7 percent). In some cases, experimental entries established much faster than our seeded standard Riviera (i.e. at College Station, TX), and in other locations Riviera ratings were comparable to the top entries (i.e. at Raleigh, NC). Turfgrass quality data analyzed from the
seventeen locations over the five years of this trial showed several new cultivars and experimental entries making their way into the top statistical group. TifTuf and Tahoma 31 finished at the top for turf quality (TQ = 6.8), followed by experimental entries JCS-2-21-18-V, 11-T-510, JSC-2-21-1-V and OKC-1163, all vegetative entries. Latitude 36, one of the top performers in the last trial, also finished in the top turf quality statistical group. Patriot, a cold-hardy standard that has been tested by NTEP for over twenty years, also performed very well at several locations. Tops in seeded entries include Riviera and Monaco (TQ = 6.3). Tifway, arguably the most widely utilized turf bermudagrass in history, also performed well overall finishing just outside the top turf quality group (TQ = 6.3), which could mean that the importance of Tifway in the marketplace may continue for many years. Ancillary trial testing was conducted at several
locations over the testing period. Traffic tolerance was conducted at two locations, Knoxville, TN, and Lexington, KY. At Knoxville, very few statistical differences were noted in three years of tests. At Lexington, KY, differences were noted among entries; tolerance differences were noted, with Patriot, Tahoma 31 and Tifway topping the traffic ratings. Entries that performed well in at least three out of four years in Lexington include Tifway, TifTuf, OKC 1302, Latitude 36, Monaco and JSC-2-21-18-V. Other ancillary trials include drought tolerance,
nematode evaluations, spring dead spot (Ophiosphaerella spp.) tolerance and divot recovery. No statistical differences emerged in the Fayetteville, AR, divot recovery evaluations. Spring dead spot ratings collected at Columbia, MO, showed statistical differences even though
TPI Turf News July/August 2019 59
winter injury removed some entries from testing. Of the entries that survived, OKC 1163, OKC 1302, BAR C291, Astro, MBG-002, OKS-2009-3, OKS-2011-4 and Yukon showed the highest spring dead spot tolerance ratings.
Tree years of drought tolerance evaluations were
conducted at College Station, TX, by restricting irrigation during periods of high heat and summer drought, then re-watering to gauge recovery. Performance differences in drought tolerance and recovery were noted each year with TifTuf, 11-T-510, JSC 2-21-18-V and Tahoma 31 finishing as the top performing entries, with turf quality ratings of 7.6, 6.8, 6.7 and 6.7, respectively. Sixteen entries finished in the top turf quality statistical group at College Station where overall scores were as low as 4.2. Nematode tolerance was extensively evaluated
at Gainesville, FL. Ten species of nematode were identified from the trial site, but most individual counts did not result in statistical significance. However, some statistical differences in helico (Helicotylenchus sp.), lance (Hoplolaimus galeatus) and ring (Mesocriconena sp.) nematode counts were noted in some years. Also, within the last two years of the study, some statistical differences were noted in ground cover ratings and within sampled plant root lengths. Terefore, there seems to be a potential to select for improved nematode tolerance in turfgrasses. Resulting from the tough winters of 2013 and
2014, winter injury was noted at a few locations. Tahoma 31 and Patriot vegetative entries, as well as seeded entry Yukon, fared the best with the least percentage winter
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