In prior years, none of the zoysia or seashore

paspalum entries rolled at least 100-inches, however, that changed in 2016. At Tucson, AZ, several of the zoysia entries had greater ball roll distances than the bermuda entries, with 10-TZ-74 rolling greater than 100 inches on both rating dates. DALZ 1305 and DALZ 1307 showed ball roll distances of 100 inches on one of two rating dates in Tucson. And 10-TZ-74 was the only entry to roll greater than 100 inches at the Richmond, VA location. Te seashore paspalum entry to measure a 100-inch or greater ball roll in 2016 was SeaDwarf, on one rating date at Tucson, AZ. St. Augustinegrass and seashore paspalum

cultivar development was fairly limited in the U.S. for a long while. Te situation changed in the early to mid- 2000s when new plant breeders were hired at southern universities like Texas A&M, University of Florida and North Carolina State University. Now, with those folks in place and with a major federal (USDA) grant from the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), an increase in breeding of these two species, along with bermuda and zoysia, is occurring across the southern U.S. Within a few years, growers and consumers will see new cultivars of St. Augustinegrass and seashore paspalum in the marketplace. Tese new cultivars will have improved drought and salt tolerance, as well as other improvements. To evaluate some of those new experimental grasses that may make the marketplace, NTEP initiated new trials of St. Augustinegrass and seashore paspalum in summer 2016. Te first data from

those trials will not be available until 2018, therefore, the following information is taken from our last completed trials of both species, with data from 2007-2012.

St. Augustinegrass St. Augustinegrass is a species where several

older cultivars are still competitive in the marketplace. Floratam, developed by the University of Florida and Texas A&M and released in 1973, Raleigh, a cold tolerant cultivar and newer releases Mercedes and Palmetto still dominate the U.S. market. In some areas, sod producers grow and market their own local selections while there are still common-type cultivars, like Texas Common sold extensively in some markets. Our most recently completed St. Augustinegrass

trial included three standard entries (Floratam, Raleigh, and Mercedes) and three experimental entries, planted at five locations. Turf quality data from 2007-2012 at Gainesville, FL and Griffin, GA showed no statistical differences among any entries. Turf quality ratings averaged over the same period from Mississippi State, MS, Raleigh, NC and College Station, TX did however, show some statistical differences. At Mississippi State, MS, DALSA 0406, Mercedes and Raleigh finished in the top statistical group, with the same three cultivars plus Captiva finishing in the top statistical group at Raleigh, NC. At College Station, TX, only Captiva did not finish in the top statistical group. Terefore, DALSA 0406 was the only experimental entry with statistically comparable quality ratings to Mercedes, Raleigh and Floratam.

TPI Turf News July/August 2017

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