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CHARACTERISTICS OF COOL SEASON GRASSES. 1. Physiological type of Plant: C3 2. Photosynthetic Rate: low 3. Photorespiration Rate: high 4. Area of adaptation:widely adapted in cool humid and cool arid. 5. Growth habit:
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CHARACTERISTICS OF COOL SEASON GRASSES 1. Physiological type of Plant: C3 2. Photosynthetic Rate: low 3. Photorespiration Rate: high 4. Area of adaptation:widely adapted in cool humid and cool arid
5. Growth habit: rhizomatous: Kentucky bluegrass stoloniferous: Rough stalked bluegrass creeping bentgrass bunch: perennial rye, annual rye, tall fescue 6. Establishment: mostly seeded (sod is considered seeded)
Seeding: 1. Blend: combo. of 2 or more cultivars of the same species 2. Mixture: combo. of 2 or more different species Why use blends or mixtures?
Grass Types BLUEGRASS RYEGRASS 1. Kentucky 1. Perennial 2. Rough Stalk 2. Annual 3. Annual 3. Intermediate 4. Canada
FESCUE BENTGRASS 1. Tall 1.Creeping 2. Meadow 2.Colonial Fine fescues 3.Velvet 3. Creeping 4. Chewings 5. Hard 6. Sheep
BLUEGRASS Vegetative Characteristics: a. boat shaped tip b. light lines c. folded vernation d. membranous ligule
2. Kentucky Blue: short ligule, rhizomes 3. Annual Blue: long ligule, weak stolons 4. Rough Stalk: bumpy sheath, stolons 5. Canada: very flat, sheath, rhizome Origin: 1. Europe, Asia
KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS(Poa pratensis) Use: lawns, fairways, athletic fields 1. Apomixis: Seeds without sex. No pollination involved. Seeds develop only from maternal tissue. Genetic uniformity, but makes breeding hard 2. widely used 3. blends or in mixtures
1. attractive 2. good recovery 3. wide soil range, adaptable 4. many cultivars 5. wear - good 6. drought - good* 7. shade - poor 8. cold - good - excellent 9. heat - good* characteristics
Prefer: sunny, moist, fertile • Establishment rate: slow germination (14-21 days) • Over 100 cultivars 1. Common types: Newport, Park, Kenblue Characteristics 1. Genetic base: Broad 2. Growth habit: erect 3. Density: low
What is a Cultivar? • It is a contraction of Cultivated Variety, and means the same thing as variety. It has a specific trade name, and should have unique characteristics that distinguish it from other cultivars. With turfgrasses, it is often hard to distinguish the cultivars. Many look and perform the same, at least under most conditions.
Common types: • 4. Growth rate: rapid • 5. Disease: leafspot • 6. Mowing height: high • 7. Fertilization requirement: low 2-3 lb/M* *2-3 lb N/1000 ft2/yr = 2-3 #N/1000
2. Turf type (Improved) a. Growth habit: more horizontal b. Density: high c. Disease Resistance: 1. Rust 2. Leafspot 3. Dollarspot 4. Fusarium
d. Examples: Victa, Rugby, Columbia, Limousine e. Shade tolerant (examples) Glade A-34 Bristol Touchdown Eclipse Baron
Management: • 1. Seed rate: 1 - 2 lbs/1000 ft2 • 2. Mowing Height: a. Fairways: 1/2-3/4 in. b. Lawns: 2 - 2 1/2 in. • 3. Fertilization: 2 - 6 lbs/1000 In NC: 3 lbs/M • 4. Use blends, not single cultivar
How to Pick Cultivars? • National Turfgrass Evaluation Program • tests all the common turf species on a continuing basis • trials are usually run for four years • independent test sites all across US • publishes results • for the seed producers, it’s like winning the lottery to come out on top
ROUGH STALK BLUEGRASSPoa trivialis • Long lived perennial with excellent cold tolerance, good color retention • Fine textured, high shoot density • Poor heat, drought tolerance • Poor wear tolerance • Does not blend well with other grasses because of color differences
ROUGH STALK BLUEGRASS • Use: 1. Moist shady areas, winter overseeding • Characteristics 1. rough sheath 2. long ligule 3. soft, shiny leaf 4. grainy 5. apple green 6. thin, leafy stolons, no rhizomes
Cultivars: a. Winterplay (Pure Seed) b. Colt (Pickseed West) c. Laser (Loft's) • Management: 1. Seed rate: 1 - 2 lbs/M lawns 6 - 8 lbs/M WOS 2. Fertilizer: Nitrogen 0.5-1.0 lbs/M/mo • Mowing Height: a. 1/2 - 1 in lawns b. 1/4 in WOS
CANADA BLUEGRASSPoa compressa • Use: 1. Soil conservation • Characteristics: 1. weak rhizomes 2. open, stemmy, elevated crown 3. bluegreen 4. cold tolerant, low fertility 5. prefers droughty, acid soils
Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) • Use: fairway, greens • Characteristics: 1. weak stolons 2. light green 3. shallow roots 4. heavy seed producer Spring> Fall> Summer 5. Heat, drought tolerance: poor
6. Prefer: a. cool, moist, shade b. close mow c. overwater d. does well on compacted soils • Cultivars: none, yet • Types: 1. annual-seed Poa annua var. annua 2. perennial Poa annua var. reptans
Management: 1. Seed rate: none 2. Mowing height: 3/32 - 1 in. 3. Irrigation: frequent, syringe 4. Pesticide: fungicides needed 5. Control methods: vertical mow - reduce seed, fertility, PGR, preemergent herbicides, core aerate, irrigation, stress
RYEGRASS • Vegetative Characteristics: • 1. Annual a. rolled b. bunch c. coarse • 2. Perennial a. folded b. bunch type c. fine - medium texture
PERENNIAL RYEGRASSLolium perenne Use: lawns, fairways, athletic fields • 1. Origin: Europe • 2. Growth habit: bunch type • 3. Establishment rate: rapid ger/estb. • 4. Wear: good • 5. Recovery Rate: poor
6. Thatch level: low • 7. Winter kill: fair • Cultivars: • 1. Common types - examples: • a. Norlea • b. Linn
2. Improved: a. Texture: finer b. Color: darker c. Density: higher d. Cut: 1/4 - 2 1/2 in. e. Growth habit: low f. Pest resistance: good g. Examples: Manhattan 4, Palmer 3, Pizzazz, Applaud
Management: • 1. Seed rate: 5(lawns) - 35 lbs (WOS) • 2. Mowing Height: Lawns - 1.5 - 2.5 in. Greens - 1/4 in. • 3. Fertilization: 3-6 lbs/1000
ANNUAL RYEGRASSLolium multiflorum • Use: • 1. soil stabilization • 2. temporary cover • 3. "cheap" seed • 4. quick cover
Characteristics: • 1. Germination and establishment: very fast • 2. Growth: rapid • 3. Growth habit: bunch type • 4. Color: light green • 5. Texture: coarse blade • 6. Tolerance: poor cold, heat tolerance
Cultivars: none • Seed Rate: 4 - 6 lb/1000 ft2 • Management: • 1. Seeding Rate: 5 lbs/M • 2. Fertilizer Schedule: 3 lbs N/M/yr • 3. Mowing Regime: 2 1/2 in
TALL FESCUEFestuca arundinacea • Characteristics: 1.rolled vernation 2.rough leaf blade, hairs on auricle 3.coarse textured 4.bunch type Varieties: Rembrandt, Jaguar, Olympic, Tarheel, Wolfpack, Bonsai, Rebel,
Use: lawns, athletic, soil stabilization, roadsides • Adaptability: 1. Heat/drought: excellent 2. Wear: good 3. Soils: good in wide pH (4-8) 4. Diseases: low but brown patch 5. Shade tolerance: good -best in NC 6. Establishment: good, faster than bluegrass but slower than rye
FINE LEAF FESCUES(Festuca spp.) • Characteristics: 1. folded • Species: • 1. Creeping Red Fescue (F. rubra ssp. rubra) - rhizomes - examples: Pennlawn, Ruby Dawson
2. Chewings fescue (F. rubra ssp. commutata) a. bunch type b. examples: Jamestown, Highlight c. Denser d. Heat/cold tolerance: less than CRF • 3. Hard fescue (F. longifolia) a. bunch type b. examples: Biljart, Scaldis, Reliant c. Heat/drought tolerance: excellent
4. Sheep Fescue (F. ovina) a. bunch type b. Use: soil stabilization, ornamental (blue fescue) • Use: 1. Mixed with Ky bluegrass shade, drought, infertile soils 2. low maintenance
Adaptability: 1. Drought/shade/infertile soil tolerance: Excellent 2. Heat tolerance: very poor 3. Wet soil tolerance: very poor 4. Recovery rate: poor to fair 5. Disease tolerance: poor
Managment: • 1. Seed rate: 3 - 5 lb/1000 ft2 • 2. Fertilization: 1 - 3 lb/1000/yr • 3. Mowing height: 1-1/2 - 2 1/2 in.
BENTGRASS(Agrostis) • 1. Creeping (A. palustris) a. Stolons: strong b. Ligule: prominant, membranous • 2. Colonial (A. tenuis) a. Stolons: weak b. Rhizomes: weak c. Ligule: blunt, short
3. Velvet (A. canina) a. Stolons: weak b. Ligule: pointed • Vegetative Characteristics: 1. rolled vernation 2. membranous ligule 3. fine texture 4. leaves - flat, sabre-tipped, fine textured
CREEPING BENTGRASS • Use: greens, tees, fairways, tennis, bowling • Characteristics: 1. highest quality 2. high maintenance - 4 - 8 lb N/yr a. thatchy, grainy b. disease susceptible c. shallow root, water often d. mow close, frequent, 1/8 - 1/2”
3. Wear: poor 4. Recovery: good 5. Compaction: poor 6. prefer cool, moist regions 7. tolerate close mow - 1/4 in. 8. high density 9. Heat tolerance: fair 10. Soil pH: 5.5 - 6.0 11. Spring greenup: slow 12. Winter color retention: poor
Creeping bentgrass stolons
Cultivars: • 1. Vegetative: stolonize a. Toronto (C-15) b. Cohansey (C-7) c. Washington (C-50) • 2. Seeded a. Penncross* b. Seaside c. Providence d. Pennlinks e. Cato, Crenshaw, L93, A4, G2....
Management: 1. Seed: 1 - 2 lb/1000 ft2 2. Mowing height: 1/8- 3/16 in. for greens - 1/2 - 3/4 in. for fairways 3. Grain control: comb/brush, mow 2X 4. Fertilizer: 1/2 - 1 lb/1000ft2/month 5. Thatch: topdress 6. Syringe to cool surface
BENTGRASSVS BERMUDAGRASS Creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass are cool season (C3) and warm season (C4) grasses respectively. This is due to anatomical and physiological differences between the species. In general, C4 plants are more photosynthetically efficient than C3 plants. This is due to their ability to fix CO2 at lower atmospheric CO2 concentrations, maintain higher fixation rates at higher light intensities, and the absence of photorespiration.
Photorespiration, associated with C3 plants, increases with temperature and it is for this reason that bentgrass should not be heavily fertilized in the summer. Promotion of growth in high temperatures results in weak plants as a result of a depletion of food reserves. Root loss (50 %) can be expected to occur as soil temperatures approach the mid-seventies. Optimum root growth of C3 grasses occurs at lower temperatures compared to shoot growth.