Buffalograss Tolerance to Sandy Soil, Traffic, and Shade
“Tirty years of buffalograss breeding has resulted in significant improvements that warrant re- thinking how we consider using buffalograss”
Photo by Suz Trusty
–Dr. Keenan Amundsen, University of Nebraska
Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) J.T. Columbus) is a turfgrass species commonly considered to be native to North America. It is unique from other turfgrasses in the fact that it is a dioecious plant, meaning that it has male and female flowers on separate plants. It is often used as low-maintenance turfgrass or in areas where the turfgrass is allowed to flower which gives the appearance of a prairie. However, it has not been traditionally thought of by many as a turfgrass species with a wide range of use.
Dr. Amundsen makes the case that turfgrass breeding efforts have resulted in significant improvements in buffalograss that may make it more suitable for future plantings. He and his team examined data from the 1991, 1996, and 2002 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trials as well as planted 104 genotypes in June 2008. Tey recorded visual quality data on plots with and without traffic applied from a Brinkman Traffic Simulator. After two years of moderate traffic, 70 genotypes were minimally affected and two experimental genotypes were consistently top performers, indicating the potential for further improvements through plant breeding. In a separate study, these researchers evaluated 52 genotypes under 0, 30, and 60 percent shade. Significant differences were exhibited there as well and three genotypes were rated as top performers, again showing potential for improvements through plant breeding. Te data presented in this study indicate that there may be potential to expand the range and adaptation of buffalograss into environments and uses that were not recommended previously.
“Cows don’t go to school”
– Allen Carter, New Jersey Farm Bureau Vice President and Tuckahoe Turf Farms
Tis quote was used in reference to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program which allows landowners to restrict the deeds to their land for future farm use only. TPI members in attendance were interested in what it’s like maintaining farms so close to major metropolitan areas, so one of our hosts, Allen Carter, began discussing some of the nuances of local regulations and politics.
Te phrase “Cows don’t go to school” was used to illustrate the point that not only does farmland protect the local environment, re- charge groundwater, provide goods and services, and create jobs, it also reduces the tax burden for local citizens by limiting the amount of infrastructure, roads, buses, and schools necessary to support land that would otherwise be developed into residential neighborhoods.
Casey Reynolds, PhD, is executive director of Turfgrass Producers International.
All photos by Steve Trusty unless noted otherwise.
Tuckahoe Turf Farms Tour
ITRC Attendees gave their rapt attention to the speakers as they provided information on their research.
18 TPI Turf News September/October 2017
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
