An additional objective of this research is to publish a comprehensive literature review of turfgrass water use, irrigation practices, and turfgrass water best management practices (BMPs) which can be used to promote Te Lawn Institute’s goal of ensuring that natural turfgrasses are selected, planted, and maintained with continued environmental stewardship.
Turfgrass Irrigation and Its Impact on Heat Island Mitigation and Energy Consumption ($22,500, 2016-19)
Tese turfgrass plots for monitoring water use are at the University of Tennessee.
cooperated with TPI members to collect the grasses being assessed including bermudagrass (three locations), zoysiagrass (two locations), buffalograss (one location), tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass plus tall fescue mix (one location), Kentucky bluegrass plus fine fescue mix, and fine fescue (one location).
Fertility treatments, irrigation and turfgrass color and quality measurements began in the spring of 2016 and ran through 2017. Investigators compiled well over 100,000 data points on irrigation and evapotranspiration rates (ET) into spreadsheets and submitted it to Dr. Doug Karcher at the University of Arkansas for analysis.
Tis project is on track to being able to accomplish its goal of determining the actual amount of water required to maintain key grass species in different regions of the country to at least 50 percent green cover. Using ET rates, researchers will be able to determine the accuracy of ET predictions for requisite irrigation. Data analysis should be completed by summer of 2018, and a final report will be ready for Te Lawn Institute by fall of 2018. A manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal will be ready for submission and this project will also be presented at the 2018 Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America meetings in Baltimore, MD.
Kentucky bluegrass surrounds this test wall.
Strategies to conserve water have been implemented by many municipalities in the Southwest United States to minimize water used for irrigating urban landscapes. Tese strategies include eliminating turf areas and replacing them with xeric plants and/or hardscapes. However, such an approach can in return create or contribute to already existing urban heat islands. Heat islands are defined as urban, built-up areas that can be up to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than adjacent rural areas. Te documented negative consequences resulting from heat islands include increased peak energy demands in summer months, higher air conditioning costs, greater air pollution and increased greenhouse gas emissions, an increase in heat-related illnesses and mortality, and decreased water quality. Despite these documented heat-island effects, no research has been conducted to determine the consequences of these strategies with regard to overall water and energy consumption. Research is needed to quantify the effect and importance of different types of landscapes on urban ambient temperatures around buildings and the subsequent energy consumption inside those buildings.
A broad view of the established turfgrass plots set up for monitoring water use at the University of California-Riverside.
14 TPI Turf News September/October 2018
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