Turfgrass that Wears Down and Springs Back Up

Newswise — Kentucky bluegrass, a turfgrass frequently grown on sports fields, is more tolerant to wear during the spring compared to other seasons, and shows better recovery during spring, according to research from Rutgers University. The study also identified which varieties of bluegrass showed the most wear tolerance.

Researchers Bradley Park, T.J. Lawson, Hiranthi Samaranayake, and James A. Murphy, from Rutgers University Center for Turfgrass Science, reported their findings in the July/August 2010 edition of Crop Science, published by the Crop Science Society of America. The researchers attributed the better spring performance of Kentucky bluegrass to greater shoot biomass production during spring, an annual growth cycle phenomenon of cool-season turfgrass. Twenty-two Kentucky bluegrass varieties were tested using a paddling device developed at Rutgers University during six week periods in spring, summer, and fall. A variety called ‘Julia’ had the greatest wear tolerance and recovery throughout the study and has previously exhibited a high level of performance in traffic stress trials at Rutgers and other universities. Unfortunately, its susceptibility to various turfgrass diseases caused by fungal pathogens limit its use on sports fields. Several varieties frequently used in blends established for sod production, classified as Compact-Midnight Types, including ‘Midnight’, ‘Midnight II’, and ‘Liberator’, were tested. While these exhibited good wear tolerance during fall, their recovery in the following spring was slow. Slow spring recovery of these cultivars is due to long winter dormancy and late spring green-up. ‘Cabernet’, ‘Lakeshore’, ‘Moon Shadow’, ‘Limousine’, and ‘Jefferson’ varieties exhibited better recovery from fall wear during the next spring. Better winter performance and early spring green-up likely aided in the spring recovery of these cultivars after wear during the previous fall. These cultivars would be useful on sports fields needing recovery from fall use and should probably be included in blends with Compact-Midnight Type cultivars. The ‘Langara’, ‘Bedazzled’, and ‘Touchdown’ varieties had poor wear tolerance and recovery during all seasons. The researchers concluded that these cultivars are better suited to sports fields that see low use intensities. The research team at Rutgers University continues to investigate the effects of seasonal wear on Kentucky bluegrass. Results provide sod growers, sports field managers, and other turf professionals valuable information to aid in cultivar selection for use on sports and recreational surfaces. For example, the authors concluded that screening varieties for tolerance to wear should be done in the spring. The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at https://www.agronomy.org/publications/cs/abstracts/50/4/1526.

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