2012 Turfgrass Proceedings

Transcription

1 2012 Turfgrass Proceedings The New Jersey Turfgrass Association In Cooperation with Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science Rutgers Cooperative Extension

2 2012 RUTGERS TURFGRASS PROCEEDINGS of the GREEN EXPO Turf and Landscape Conference December 4-6, 2012 Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City, New Jersey The Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings is published yearly by the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in cooperation with the New Jersey Turfgrass Association. The purpose of this document is to provide a forum for the dissemination of information and the exchange of ideas and knowledge. The proceedings provide turfgrass managers, research scientists, extension specialists, and industry personnel with opportunities to communicate with co-workers. Through this forum, these professionals also reach a more general audience, which includes the public. This publication includes lecture notes of papers presented at the 2012 GREEN EXPO Turf and Landscape Conference. Publication of these lectures provides a readily available source of information covering a wide range of topics and includes technical and popular presentations of importance to the turfgrass industry. This proceedings also includes research papers that contain original research findings and reviews of selected subjects in turfgrass science. These papers are presented primarily to facilitate the timely dissemination of original turfgrass research for use by the turfgrass industry. Special thanks are given to those who have submitted papers for this proceedings, to the New Jersey Turfgrass Association for financial assistance, and to Barbara Fitzgerald, Anne Diglio, and Ann Jenkins for administrative and secretarial support. Dr. Ann Brooks Gould, Editor Dr. Bruce B. Clarke, Coordinator i

3 PERFORMANCE OF KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS CULTIVARS AND SELECTIONS IN NEW JERSEY TURF TRIALS Eric D. Koch, Melissa M. Mohr, William K. Dickson, Ronald F. Bara, Dirk A. Smith, Eric N. Weibel, Joseph B. Clark, James A. Murphy, Stacy A. Bonos, and William A. Meyer 1 Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is one of the most widely used and well known cool-season turfgrasses in the United States and Canada. Kentucky bluegrass spreads by underground stems known as rhizomes. This rhizomatous growth habit allows for Kentucky bluegrass to cope with various stresses and recover quickly from damage while still maintaining a uniform complete turf cover. Kentucky bluegrass is a highly desired turfgrass for a large number of applications; however, its widespread utility is limited by some factors. While Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent turfgrass in sunny to partly shaded microclimates as long as adequate nutrition is supplied, it is often outperformed in low light or low fertility microclimates (Turgeon, 2008). The extensive rhizome system of Kentucky bluegrass is one of the reasons that this species is popular and widely used in sports turf in northern and northeastern regions of the United States. Rhizomes provide superior playability by reducing the damage caused by divoting and provide a smooth, uniform playing surface that helps to improve player safety. Evaluations of Kentucky bluegrass for wear tolerance and under low mowing heights have been conducted throughout the country to determine which cultivars are best for use in golf course fairways. Kentucky bluegrass, almost exclusively, reproduces asexually though a process known as apomixis. Although making crosses between genotypes is difficult to perform, apomixis in Kentucky bluegrass also results in some advantages in the breeding process. Apomixis allows for the opportunity to utilize hybrid vigor and produce true-to-type seeds from superior plants over multiple generations. Over the past several decades, more than 200 cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass have been released. Texas bluegrass, a species native to Texas and Oklahoma, is a dioecious species that is far more tolerant of heat and drought stress than Kentucky bluegrass. Crosses between Texas bluegrass female plants and Kentucky bluegrass are made to increase the tolerance of Kentucky bluegrass hybrids to these stresses and ultimately increase its adapted range into the transition zone. Breeders are endlessly searching the world to obtain new germplasm in an attempt to continue to broaden the genetic bases of these two species. These collection trips and germplasm acquisitions are used in breeding programs to obtain new genes for stress tolerances and disease resistance and will be used to develop new cultivars. In addition to this breeding work, Rutgers participates in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP), which is sponsored by the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and National Turfgrass Federation, Inc. NTEP is a program that, through the cooperation of many institutions nationwide, tests different turfgrass cultivars and selections in many different environments in order to assess their performance in a broad range of locations. PROCEDURES Eight Kentucky bluegrass trials were seeded from 2008 to Seven of these trials (Tables 1, 3 to 8) were located at the Rutgers Plant Biology and Pathology Research and Extension Farm at Adelphia, NJ, and one trial (Table 2) was located at the Rutgers Horticultural Research Farm II in North Brunswick, NJ. 1 Graduate Assistant, Field Researcher IV, Turfgrass Research Farm Supervisor, Laboratory Researcher II, Principle Laboratory Technician, Field Researcher IV, Principle Laboratory Technician, Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Management, Associate Professor, and Research Professor, respectively, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

4 These trials were planted by sowing a maximum of 0.53 oz of seed in 3 x 5 ft plots. This maximum rate is equivalent to 2.2 lb of seed per 1000 ft 2. The trials were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Annual nitrogen rates as well as the mowing heights for each trial are presented in Table 9. Nitrogen rates were not constant for all of the fields in order to prevent disease and or to foster recovery from various stresses. Nitrogen application rates never exceeded 0.75 lb per 1000 ft 2. Mowing heights were maintained by using a reel mower for trials maintained at 1.5 inches and by a rotary mower for the trials maintained at 3 inches. After establishment, annual weeds were controlled using spring and summer applications of Dimension, and broadleaf weeds were controlled with fall and or spring applications of 2,4-D, dicamba, and MCPP. Merit was applied in July to control grubs on all tests presented. Depending on soil test results, soil ph was maintained between 6.0 and 6.5 with granular dolomitic limestone. Tests were irrigated during establishment and also when needed to avoid severe drought stress Monthly ratings of all trials were conducted throughout the growing season for overall quality. Overall turf quality ratings are visual assessments that take into account color, brightness, leaf texture, density, uniformity, damage due to disease and insects, and overall attractiveness of the plot. In addition to overall quality ratings, supplementary ratings were taken when differences became evident within the trials. These additional ratings included spring green-up (Tables 1, 3 to 5), wear quality (Table 2), dollar spot (Table 5), stemminess (Tables 1 and 5), percent green cover (Tables 7 and 8), and genetic color (Table 8). Spring Green-up RESULTS This trait indicates the wide range of genetic diversity within Kentucky bluegrass. Due to an increase in leaf elongation that occurs in response to increases in temperature and photoperiod (Parsons and Robson, 1980), cultivars adapted to this region are more sensitive to these conditions and may green up earlier in the spring. Cultivars and selections that are adapted to higher latitudes need more dramatic changes in temperature and photoperiod before spring green-up will begin. Cultivars such as Mystere, Camas, and KenBlue rated high for spring green-up, while cultivars such as Bewitched, NuChicago, and Everest exhibited slow spring green-up (Tables 1, 3 to 5). Wear Quality The ability of a turf stand to handle wear is an important trait to maintain the long-term quality and playability of the surface. Kentucky bluegrass is used extensively for sports fields in temperate climates due to its rhizomatous growth habit. Rhizomes help the turf recover from wear stress to form a uniform turf stand. As a result, the demand for traffic tolerant Kentucky bluegrass has continued to rise. Wear was simulated by using a novel wear simulator (Bonos et al., 2001), which is an engine-driven device with rotating rubber paddles that repeatedly hit the turf. Cultivars that maintained a high level of quality while under wear stress included Avalanche, Prosperity, and Mystere; cultivars such as Revel I and Northstar performed poorly under wear stress (Table 2). Dollar Spot Dollar Spot (caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) is a fungal disease of Kentucky bluegrass. The name of this disease is derived from the small, silvery, dollar-sized spots that appear on susceptible turfs. Dollar spot readily forms on bentgrasses mowed at putting green height and is also quite pathogenic to Kentucky bluegrasses. On Kentucky bluegrasses, which are mowed at higher cutting heights, the symptoms appear as larger, straw-colored spots (4 to 6 inches) that may coalesce into much larger areas as disease severity increases. Dollar spot is generally most severe under low levels of fertilization during periods of warm days and cool nights coupled with high humidity (Smiley et al., 2005). Cultivars such as Emblem and America showed good resistance to dollar spot while Limousine and Jumpstart appeared to be quite susceptible (Table 5). Residual Reproductive Stems A rating of stemminess, or the amount of reproductive stems remaining in a plot after mowing, was taken in trials. Ratings were taken on a 1 to 9 scale with a 9 representing a plot with little residual reproductive stems. The lack of stemminess is an attractive trait as it allows for a more consistent and visibly appealing turfgrass stand. Right, NuBlue Plus, Solar Eclipse, and Award all performed well for this 84

5 trait while Monte Carlo, Crest, and Orfeo produced the most reproductive stems (Tables 1 and 5). Percent Green Cover Green cover after establishment is an important characteristic to consumers, sod-growers, and other turf managers alike. Kentucky bluegrass is one of the slowest cool-season grasses to form a mature turfgrass stand. Establishment can be influenced by a variety of factors such as genetics, seed quality environment, management practices, and after ripening dormancy. Other characteristics that affect establishment and seedling vigor include age of the seed, storage conditions, and environmental conditions at the time of seeding. Ratings of green cover were taken on a 0 to 100% scale with a 100 representing a plot that has filled in completely. Cultivars such as Everest, Bluenote, and SRX 2758 all had high ratings for percent green cover while Award, Cabernet, and Boutique had lower percent green cover ratings (Tables 7 and 8). Genetic Color Contrary to other areas of the world, dark green turfgrasses are typically more appealing to the American populace when compared to lighter green varieties. Breeding for darker green verdure in Kentucky bluegrass varieties is one focus of the Rutgers turfgrass breeding program. Although genetic color of the cultivar is taken into account when assessing the overall quality rating, individual measures of the depth of green color for each cultivar was also performed (Table 8). Cultivars with the darkest green color were PICK 4340, Rush, and Empire; Baron and Kenblue had the lightest green color. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Publication No. E This work was conducted as part of NJAES Project No , supported by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, State, and Hatch Act Funds, the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science, other grants, and gifts. Additional support was received from the United States Golf Association, the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, and the New Jersey Turfgrass Association. REFERENCES Bonos, S. A., E. Watkins, J. A. Honig, M. Sosa, T. J. Molnar, J. A. Murphy, and W. A. Meyer Breeding cool-season turfgrasses for wear tolerance using a wear simulator. Int. Turfgrass Society Res. J. 9: Parsons, A. J., and M. J. Robson Seasonal changes in physiology of S24 perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). 1. Responses of leaf extension to temperature during transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. Ann. Bot. 46: Smiley, R. W., P. H. Dernoeden, and B. B. Clarke Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases, 3rd. APS Press, St. Paul, MN. Turgeon, A. J Turfgrass Management, 8th ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. SUMMARY Kentucky bluegrass is grown for many uses under a diverse range of soil, environmental, and management conditions. As a result, there is a demand for cultivars that produce a durable, high quality turf for an assortment of uses and under a broad range of conditions. Due to its extensive rhizome system, Kentucky bluegrass thrives very well under stressful conditions. Because of its diverse use in the turfgrass industry, improved resistance to important diseases, pests, and other abiotic stresses is needed if cultivars are expected to perform well in many situations. 85

6 Table 1. Performance of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections in a turf trial seeded in September 2008 at Adelphia, NJ Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A05TB A03TB Nu Destiny Bluenote A NuChicago A NuBlue Plus A Hampton Green Star RAD Serene Award A A Solar Eclipse Bewitched Alexa II Arrowhead Fullback Blueberry Granite Freedom II Right

7 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Ginney II Rhythm A A A A RAD A Zinfandel A Bedazzled Emblem Diva Argos PST A A05TB A H Cabernet Everest P A A Frontpage

8 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A Quantum Leap A A Everglades PST-K PST-K Blue-Sation Liberator A03TB A Total Eclipse A PST-K A Noble RAD OAN RAD Shannon H Touche A04TB PST-K A

9 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Juliet RAD A PST A A Arcadia Alpine Mystere Kingfisher Sonoma PST-C AKB PST-K A A A A A A Juliet STR NuGlade Ridgeline A

10 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Yankee A A A A Courtyard PST A A PST-1A RAD A A A PST-K7-50S A A MSP Starburst A PST A04TB A PST A03TB

11 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A A H SR A A PSG A PST-1GQG Monte Carlo A RAD A A A Pick PST-K8-80 NL PST TX A A A PP PST-K Volt

12 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg STR RAD A PST-K8-77 NO A05TB A05TB A A TD Eagleton RAD RAD A SR TD PST A A A RAD TD PST-K A SR ,000 ppm RAD

13 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A Gaelic Julia PST-K Blackberry A RAD RAD Brooklawn H A Champagne PST-1A RAD Arrow A STR Farenheit TD Season A PST-K8-76 NO SR A SR ,000 ppm

14 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg RAD PSG 2MSU Northside A Fielder PST-K A PST-K H PSG Spitfire PST-K STR A A TD Gaelic PST-K8-81 NO Bordeaux RAD PST-1G Bonaire PST-K8-61S RAD Unique II

15 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A A TD STR RAD A A PST-K8-75 NO MSP PST-K A Crest STR RAD Mallard PST-K7-54S A A04TB A TD A PST PST-K Bandera PST

16 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Guinness A STR PSG2MSU PSG 2MSU Baron America A PSG 2MSU A Cheetah A PST-T A A PST Touchdown RAD Ulysses PST-K7-58S PST PST-K8-78 NO Orteo 10,000 ppm PST-K7-44D Lucky Star

17 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg PST-K PST-K PST-K8-79 GER MP A PST-K PST-K7-51S H PST Boutique PST-1T Blue-Mazing Winter Blue RAD PST-K STR Orteo 5,000 ppm PST-T Orteo PST PST-K STR RAD PST-K7-55S PST-T

18 Table 1. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2008 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Stemminess 3 Cultivar or March May Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg PST-K7-43D PST-K PST-K AM PST-K7-59S STR PST-K7-57S LSD at 5% = = best turf quality 2 9 = earliest spring green-up 3 9 = least reproductive stems

19 Table 2. Performance of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections in a low maintenance turf trial seeded in September 2009 at North Brunswick, NJ Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A Fullback A Avalanche H A03TB A SCKB H SCKB A Rhapsody A05TB Mystere Touche A A Prosperity PST-K Season Bewitched SCKB PSG SLT A A PST-1A PST-K A A A A Nu Glade A (KBx TB) Midnight II A

20 Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Washington A PST PST-K A A Blue Note A Blue Note P H Blue Velvet A RSP PST-K Eagleton A A SCKB A A Arrowhead Brilliant A Blacksburg A A PST-K A Solar Eclipse Diva A94MH A A A

21 Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A Rhythm Futurity Wildhorse A A A Jump Start A Freedom III A Bordeaux Rugby II A Columbus A A A A A A Zinfandel A RAD RAD Liberator Everest A A Brooklawn Shamrock A H PST-K7-58S PST-K

22 Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg PST-K Sombrero Pp H A A05TB A Voyager II Bronco A A PST-K A A Jefferson H PST-K PST-K Valor Rampart A A SCKB Touchdown America Beyond Moon Beam PST-T A PSG A A Rush A A SR

23 Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A A A PST-K RAD RAD Alexa II PST-K Moonshine PST-K Limousine A A Award A PST-K K7-32 Extra PSG OF Action H PST-K Argos Sudden Impact Nu Blue Julia A (KBx TB) A RAD RAD Tsunami Monte Carlo A04TB Fahrenheit A

24 Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg RAD Golden Nugget Perfection A (TB Hyb) A A Nu Chicago RAD PST A Guinness A Orfeo Cheetah Front Page Nu Destiny Pp H Blue Chip Plus A (TB Hyb) Full Moon SCKB Everglade PST-K A Ginney II PST-K8-77NO A (TB Hyb) RAD Waterworks PST-K RAD RAD A RAD

25 Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass low maintenance turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Wear Quality 2 Cultivar or July Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A05TB A04TB Mozart PST-K Granite A (TB Hyb) RAD A PST TD-5 JP Winter Blue RAD A05TB Mercury Right North Star TD-7 JP PST-K Odyssey PST-K7-59S PST-K A03TB RAD A Revel I Camas Anastasia LSD at 5% = = best turf quality 2 9 =best wear quality 105

26 Table 3. Performance of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections in a turf trial seeded in September 2009 at Adelphia, NJ Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Blue Chip Plus A SCKB A Quantum Leap Liberator Rhythm Blue Velvet Granite Everest A Solar Eclipse Bewitched Sudden Impact Freedom III SCKB Nu Chicago Beyond A Front Page SCKB A Starburst Nu Destiny A Rush Award A Right A Midnight II A Alexa II H

27 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Nu Glade Jefferson Nu Blue RAD Tsunami Mystere Arcadia H Rhapsody Emblem A PST-K9-105D A Everglade PST-K A Odyssey STR A Green Star A Blue Note Rugby II Season Washington A A SCKB Prosperity STR A H PST-1A Arrowhead Avalanche

28 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Fullback A Jump Start Armada PST PST-K Touche A PST-K A SCKB A H PST-K Perfection PST-K Ginney II A Shannon A PST-K Futurity SR RAD Alpine A A A PST PST-K A A A PST-K Brilliant

29 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg PST-K Valor PST-K Diva Argos Julia A A05TB Zinfandel A PST P Moonshine PST-1A Rampart A Pp H Shannon A RAD A A A A A94MH A PSG A PSG SLT RAD A H A A PST-K

30 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg PST-T SR RAD A North Star PST-K Oasis Voyager II Fahrenheit PST-K PST-K9-92FR A Golden Nugget A A Brooklawn PST-K8-76NO PST-A RAD Wildhorse A A Cheetah A Sombrero PSG Eagleton Blacksburg A PST A Northside PST-K8-77NO PST-K PST-K

31 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A TD-2-JP America A RAD A PST-K PST-K A A Rockstar PST-K PST-K8-75NO RAD TD-4-JP PST-K A GS Monte Carlo Moon Beam TD-5 JP A A PST-A Bandera Waterworks PST-K STR A03TB PST-K RSP Bronco Anastasia RAD Guinness

32 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg Mozart Pp H Touchdown PST-K PST-T RAD PST-K7-58S TD-7 JP PST-K PST-K A Limousine A Extra RAD PST-K STR PST-1G Bordeaux H STR Action A Revel I OF STR GS RAD Shamrock A04TB A PST-K Orfeo Full Moon Columbus

33 Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass turf trial, 2009 (continued) Turf Quality Spring Green-up 2 Cultivar or April Selection Avg. Avg. Avg. Avg A GS PST GS-2a STR PST-K Kingfisher RAD Ulysses Orfeo PST-K A BDFxA A05TB A98-39 P-105xOP STR Winter Blue PST-K7-59S A05TB Spitfire Unique II PST-K RAD PST-K PST-K GS A RAD Mercury PST-K SCKB STR A03TB Camas LSD at 5% = = best turf quality 2 9 =earliest spring green-up 113