UGA SR15-15 and UGA SR15-14 held color the longest throughout the fall. At Riverside, CA, Salam had the best fall color, followed by UGA SR15-14 and UGA 1743. Te Jay, FL, location recorded UGP 94 and UGP 73 with the best October fall color retention. October fall color ratings from both Griffin, GA, and Auburn, AL, showed UGA SR15-14 at the top.
Low Input Warm-Season In 2018, a new warm-season grass trial, including
multiple species managed under low inputs was established at eleven locations. Year two data from that trial, (collected 2020) is now available on the NTEP website. Te trial, partly supported by the U.S. Golf
Association, intends to determine adequate to high performing warm-season grasses under golf course rough or similar-type maintenance. Maintenance parameters include mowing at two inches or higher, no more than weekly mowing, two lbs. of nitrogen or less per 1000 sq. ft. per year, irrigation only to relieve severe drought stress, and minimal pest control. Te trial consists of ten total entries, of which four are bermudagrass, four are zoysiagrass, one is buffalograss, and one is a mixture of buffalograss, curly mesquite (Hilaria belangeri), and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis).
Data from 2018 focused primarily on
establishment, due to late spring or early summer planting dates. At some locations, full establishment was not achieved until sometime in 2019, therefore, more establishment data was collected. Data collection in 2020 therefore, concentrated more on turfgrass quality along with percent living ground cover, weed invasion, and canopy height measurements between mowings. Turfgrass quality ratings collected in 2020 had
Tifway and Midirion bermuda, both old standards, along with XZ 14069 zoysia, as the most consistent performers, finishing in the top statistical group at seven of eight sites. Entries also performing well overall include Meyer and 16- TZ-14114 zoysia, along with FB 1628 bermuda. Canopy height measurements are required for this
trial, and subsequently are collected at several locations. Data collected in 2020 was consistent with 2019 data as zoysia entries, XZ 14069 and FAES 1322 frequently had the lowest canopy height between mowings.
Warm-Season Water Use As described in the cool-season water section,
this trial features ten sites evaluating water-use, five under rain exclusion shelters and five managed using reduced levels of ETo
replacement. Te seventeen total entries (11
bermudagrass, four zoysiagrass, and two buffalograss) were planted in 2018, but due to slow establishment of some entries, water use evaluations were first initiated in 2020. As stated above, management procedures were slightly different for the warm-season version of this trial with irrigation restriction in the shelters (Approach 1) conducted
TPI Turf News July/August 2021
for 120-150 days (compared to 100 days for the cool- season trial). Plots were rewatered when percent green cover reached 65 percent.
All Warm-Season Water Use trial entries are holding up well while under only 30 percent ET0
replacement irrigation at Fort Lauderdale, FL.
30, 45, or 60 percent ETo as their replacement levels (as compared to 40, 60 and 80 percent ETo
Te reduced irrigation sites (Approach 2) utilized for the cool-season
trial). Approach 2 sites were also designed to conduct their evaluations for 120-150 days (sixteen to twenty weeks); however, one location (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) ran their trial for thirty-three weeks. Another difference with the warm-season version is that the mowing height was ½ - 1 inch, where the cool-season trial was managed at a more typical lawn mowing height (2 – 3 inches). Tis change did affect some species, particularly the buffalograsses, which struggled at some locations due to the low mowing height. Data from 2020 was submitted by eight of the
ten locations. In year one, compared to the cool-season trial entries, much greater statistical significance was noted between these entries. For instance, at the Approach 1 site in Stillwater, OK, the amount of water needed to maintain at least 65 percent green cover over the drought period varied from 0 – 160.7 mm (0 – 6.3 inches). Rio bermuda (0 mm), Prestige buffalograss (8 mm), Meyer zoysia (25 mm), and Dog Tuff bermuda (33.7 mm) finished in the top statistical grouping. Large variations in water needed to maintain 65 percent green cover were also noted at the Approach 1 site in Mississippi State, MS. Te lowest water users were all bermudagrasses, ASC 118 (25.3 mm), FB 1628 (33.7 mm), ASC 119 (42.3 mm), Rio (84.3 mm), Monaco (84.7 mm), and TifTuf (84.7 mm), where the entry with the greatest water use needed 262.7 mm. At the Approach 1 sites in Lexington, KY, and Jay,
FL, TifTuf required the least water of all entries (59 mm and 4.3 mm, respectively). At Lexington, the only other entry that performed statistically equal to TifTuf for water used was ASC 118 bermuda. Even though water applied
45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
