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Seed Research of Oregon Seed Technology Camp 2006. WELCOME!! Ken May. Fine Fescues are the unsung heroes of the turf grass industry Very fine texture Shade tolerant Slow growing Low fertility requirements Low moisture requirements. Fine Fescue Family. Fine Fescues –What kinds?
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Seed Research of OregonSeed Technology Camp 2006 WELCOME!! Ken May
Fine Fescues are the unsung heroes of the turf grass industry Very fine texture Shade tolerant Slow growing Low fertility requirements Low moisture requirements Fine Fescue Family
Fine Fescues –What kinds? Chewings Fescue Creeping Red Fescue Slender Creeper Strong Creeper Hard Fescue Blue Fescue Fine Fescue Family
High stress tolerance - significant improvements Use for low maintenance turf alone or as major percentage in blend Improved cultivars allow use as high quality turf All endophyte enhanced Not just for shade mixtures Develop mixtures and actively promote improvements Fine Fescue-Why?
Low maintenance fairway trials - WI, MN, IL Colonial bentgrass + fine fescues Fine fescues mixtures Individual fine fescue cultivars Organic and synthetic fertilizers No irrigation, wear applied Highest quality improved Chewings, Mixture of improved cultivars of fine fescues Fine fescues better under drought Organic maintained higher fine fescue, faster divot recovery with synthetic Fine Fescue Performance
Chewings Fescue • Strengths • Rapid germination - close to perennial ryegrass • Winter-active growth • Heat tolerance - improved cultivars • Tolerant of low height of cut - most improved cultivars • Recent studies on low maintenance fairways in WI, MN and IL showed highest performance by Chewings • WI NTEP Fairway Trials with wear applied Chewings fescue was highest ranked • Good summer patch, leaf spot resistance
Chewings Fescue • Comparison of fine fescue with Penncross creeping bentgrass in fairway under drought conditions WI Dr. Gwen Stahnke - Washington State University Puyallup, WA Dr. Leah A. Brilman - Seed Research of Oregon
Chewings Fescue • Where to use • Fairways - Northern United States, PNW, Coastal CA • Fairways - Overseeding blends with perennial ryegrass • Roughs - Northern through transition zone. • How to use • With all bentgrasses for divot repair or greens repair • Low maintenance fairways • Roughs - shaded, ornamental seedheads • Overseeding blends - better transition, fine textured • In blends with Kentucky bluegrass for fairways/roughs
Active summer growth - heat tolerance Excellent resistance to summer patch, leaf spot, and dollar spot Excellent turf quality under high, medium and low maintenance Best density in stress sites High seed yields SR 5130 (SRX 51G) Chewings
Slender Creeping Red Fescue • Strengths • High salt tolerance • Resistance to rapid blight • Short rhizomes for repair • Tolerant of short cutting heights for fairways • Improved ones with high heat tolerance • Excellent fall, winter and spring color • Extensively used in Europe for fairways . European types have less heat tolerance, higher density, low seed yields. • Short growing height
Slender Creeping Red Fescue • Where to use • Fairways - areas with salt problems overseeding blends and permanent turf in cool season areas • Greens and tees for overseeding in salt areas - used for permanent greens in UK • Roughs - mown and unmown. • Important component in links style blends • Besides parking lots, roadways where salt is used • How to use • Blends with other fine fescues, colonial bentgrass, bluegrass and perennial ryegrass
Highest fine fescue in Central valley of CA - high heat tolerance Excellent resistance to summer patch, leaf spot, and dollar spot High salt tolerance - parental lines found growing at edge of ocean Great fairway and low maintenance grass High endophyte - natural infection High seed yields SRX 55R Slender creeping red
Strong Creeping Red Fescue • Strengths • Long rhizomes for rapid repair • New cultivars show excellent heat tolerance • New cultivars tolerate mowing at 1/2 inch with wear • New cultivars have high summer patch resistance • Very compatible in blends with Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues and colonial bentgrass • Quick germination
Highest heat and drought tolerance Maintained stand OK and Central Valley of CA High performance wear and low cutting WI Excellent turf quality under high, medium and low maintenance Excellent resistance to summer patch, leaf spot and dollar spot Will persist in all blends, all locations without overdominating stand SR5250 (SRX 52961) Strong Creeping Red
Hard Fescue • Strengths • Very drought tolerant • Excellent performance in dry shade, under trees • New cultivars improved summer patch resistance - can be used in fairways • Slow growth • Low fertility requirement • Lower growing ornamental seedhead for roughs
SRX 3961 last NTEP High summer patch resistance Tolerates wear and low height of cut in WI Very shade tolerant High turf quality with no irrigation High turf quality at all management levels Very high summer heat and drought resistance SR 3150 Hard Fescue
SR 3210 Blue Fescue • Blue-green color- all plants blue color • Very drought tolerant • Excellent shade tolerance • Grows in area of dry shade • Requires little or no fertility • Great for low maintenance sites • Uses: Home lawns, roadsides, ornamental plantings, wildflower areas, roughs
Why overseed with different species? • Use mixtures for genetic diversity • Resistance to diseases and stresses • Color contrast • Improved transition • Improved quality • Smaller seeds • Potential cost savings
Labyrinthula (Rapid Blight) on Poa trivialis in SC Why overseed with different species?
Fine fescues - Overseeding • Very fine with stiff texture • Good wear tolerance • Winter-active growth • Improved transition with high quality • Rapid germination - Chewings and red • Resistance to Rapid Blight fungus • Medium seed size
Fine fescues - Overseeding • High salt tolerance • Color and texture contrast • Increase genetic diversity of mixtures • Mixtures with perennial ryegrass, • bentgrasses, Poa Trivialis • Seeding rates (alone) - Do not mow too soon • Greens 25 - 30 lbs./1000 sq. ft. • Tees 20-25 lbs./1000 sq. ft. • Fairways 10-15 lbs./1000 sq.ft. - Excellent
*Anticipate average yields, but low carryover and strong demand will keep the fine fescues in tight supply. *Limited supply of the newer varieties. -SR 5250 strong creeper -SRx55R slender creeper-(very limited) -SR 5130 Chewings fescue -SR 3210 blue fescue -SR 3150 hard fescue *Prices should remain firm with some potential upside. Canadian creeper prices are up. Outlook for 2006-7