drought dormancy differences were noted among entries, even though statistical differences were small. Divot recovery was also rated at Stillwater, OK, in
2020. Divots cut in early August were measured regularly throughout the next four weeks to assess speed of fill-in and recovery. Recovery averaged over ten ratings varied from 81.7 percent - 59.8 percent (LSD = 5.0). Several seeded entries including JSC 2013-10S (81.7 percent), JSC 2013-7S (81.3 percent), Riviera (81.1 percent), JSC 77V (80.9 percent), and JSC 2013-8S (80.8 percent) demonstrated the fastest recovery from divot injury.
Zoysiagrass Meyer zoysiagrass was released in the early 1950s
and has been a standard in the industry ever since. Meyer is known for its medium leaf texture (for a zoysia japonica type) and excellent winter hardiness. Zeon is a zoysia matrella type that is finer textured than Meyer. Zeon is a standard for use on golf course fairways and tees because it can develop a dense turfgrass at mowing heights of 0.5 inch or lower. Both grasses are included in this trial as standard entries. Our latest zoysiagrass trial, established at
nineteen locations in 2019, consists of thirty-nine (39) vegetative entries, almost all experimental. Tese new entries are demonstrating how far zoysiagrass breeding and development has advanced in the last few years. At least some of these new experimentals are destined for commercialization within the next few years, which is exciting news for the future of zoysiagrass use and adaptation.
As a historically slow establishing species, one of
the most important traits in a new zoysiagrass cultivar is spread rate. Several locations rated establishment rates, with many entries establishing much faster than Meyer, and several faster than Zeon. However, establishment rate was dependent on location as some entries were fast establishing at one or more locations, but not all locations. Some entries that were consistently at the top for establishment include FZ 1440, Empire, and FZ 1410. Zoysiagrass is one of the more winter-tolerant
warm-season species, but still has limits to its adaptability and survivability in northern locations. Plant breeders strive to incorporate a mixture of traits into each cultivar that suits their intended market. Finer-textured zoysias have been less winter-tolerant than broader-textured types. Breeders, however, work to include more winter tolerance into finer-textured types to broaden their geographical adaptability. It is too early to tell if they have been successful with this group of experimentals, but our northern most locations will most likely help us to sort out those entries with superior winter tolerance. Te identification of winter tolerant experimentals and cultivars has started in our northernmost location, West Lafayette, IN. Spring 2020 revealed ground cover ratings ranging from 97.7 – 0 percent, with ten entries falling below 50
42
percent living ground cover. Turfgrass quality ratings collected in 2020 were
divided into four LPI groups by our software. LPI groups 1 and 4, mainly representing southeast U.S. locations, showed only small statistical significance among entries. However, a few entries, such as FZ 1727, FAES 1319, FZ 1440, and FZ 1722 finished in the top ten of entries in both LPI groups. LPI group 2, with data from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Fayetteville, AR, and Riverside, CA, showed great statistical separation with DALZ 1048 and FX 1436 tied at the top with an average quality score of 7.6. LPI group 3 (West Lafayette, IN, Columbia, MO, and Manhattan, KS) delivered the most statistical separation with several entries shining possibly due to differences in cold tolerance. Fine-texture standards Zeon and Emerald topped the turf quality ratings in group 3, followed by DALZ 1808, FAES 1319, FX 1422, and DALZ 1707. Ancillary trials of traffic, drought, and shade
tolerance were initiated in 2020. Te first-year traffic tolerance data from Raleigh, NC, ended with good entry separation, and DALZ 1601, FX 1407, DALZ 1311, and FX 1410 with the highest turf quality scores. Shade tolerance was tested at College Station, TX, with excellent separation among entries. DALZ 1807, DALZ 1802, and UGA-GZ-17-4 were the highest scoring entries under shade, followed by four other entries in the top statistical group. And drought tolerance was evaluated at Dallas, TX, with DALZ 1311, FZ 1410, Empire, FZ 1407, and DALZ 1603 demonstrating the best recovery from drought.
Warm-Season Putting Green In 2013, the U.S. Golf Association (USGA)
co-funded a trial with NTEP to identify warm-season grasses that can provide acceptable putting surfaces where course owners want to save water, pesticide, and fertilizer inputs. Tat trial included not only bermudagrass, but also zoysiagrass and seashore paspalum. Seashore paspalum has been utilized on putting greens for the last decade or so, but zoysiagrass has almost no history as a putting green surface in the U.S. (zoysia has been a mainstay of ‘summer’ putting greens in Japan for decades). Including three different species in one trial offered challenges, particularly in management specifics that may differ from one species to another.
Te 2013 trial is now complete and data from 2013-2017 has been summarized into a final report that is available on NTEP’s website. A new trial containing nineteen entries (nine bermuda, six zoysia, and four seashore paspalum) was established at ten locations in 2019. Te first data on this new trial is now available, with data being reported by location and not summarized over all locations.
As with the 2019 bermuda and zoysia NTEP
trials, establishment rate is a contributing factor to the first year’s performance of this trial. At most locations, several bermuda entries including MSB-1050, Tahoma 31,
TPI Turf News July/August 2021
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