Articles
Evaluation of vegetative bermudagrasses for traffic tolerance
Article number
1279_23
Pages
153 – 158
Language
English
Abstract
The use of vegetative triploid bermudagrasses (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) has gradually increased due to their high quality and uniformity especially on golf courses and athletic fields.
Traffic tolerance is one of the most important selection criteria of bermudagrass breeding.
The aim of this study was to evaluate traffic tolerance of vegetative (triploid) turf-type bermudagrass candidates developed through interspecific hybridization.
The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications, established at Alata Horticultural Research Institute, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey on August 2016. Fully established plots were subjected to traffic stress in August 2017. Simulated traffic was applied using a Brinkman traffic simulator for 7 weeks at a level roughly equivalent to two soccer games per week.
Percentage of turf cover, quality, grass and chlorophyll index were rated weekly.
Turfgrass shear strength, surface hardness and turfgrass density were rated twice, at the beginning and end of traffic treatment.
Significant variations were observed for traffic tolerance among candidates and commercial bermudagrass cultivar ‘Tifway’. The application of traffic reduced mean shear strength, shoot density, chlorophyll content and quality of the plots.
Some of the candidates (T4-C3) performed better than ‘Tifway’ during simulated traffic treatments.
The hybrid bermudagrass with superior traffic tolerance and turf performance might be used for sustainable landscaping and sports turf.
Traffic tolerance is one of the most important selection criteria of bermudagrass breeding.
The aim of this study was to evaluate traffic tolerance of vegetative (triploid) turf-type bermudagrass candidates developed through interspecific hybridization.
The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications, established at Alata Horticultural Research Institute, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey on August 2016. Fully established plots were subjected to traffic stress in August 2017. Simulated traffic was applied using a Brinkman traffic simulator for 7 weeks at a level roughly equivalent to two soccer games per week.
Percentage of turf cover, quality, grass and chlorophyll index were rated weekly.
Turfgrass shear strength, surface hardness and turfgrass density were rated twice, at the beginning and end of traffic treatment.
Significant variations were observed for traffic tolerance among candidates and commercial bermudagrass cultivar ‘Tifway’. The application of traffic reduced mean shear strength, shoot density, chlorophyll content and quality of the plots.
Some of the candidates (T4-C3) performed better than ‘Tifway’ during simulated traffic treatments.
The hybrid bermudagrass with superior traffic tolerance and turf performance might be used for sustainable landscaping and sports turf.
Authors
S. Sever Mutlu, D. Irkörücü, B. Sancar, T. Bahar
Keywords
C. dactylon, C. transvaalensis, interspecific hybrids, athletic fields, Brinkman traffic simulator, turfgrass
Groups involved
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Working Group Urban Horticulture
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Working Group Landscape Horticulture
- Working Group Turfgrass
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Working Group Mechanization, Digitization, Sensing and Robotics
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
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