SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/73468
FieldScience ance of 10 TTTF cultivars, Kentucky-31 tall fescue, and 'Fiesta IV' perennial ryegrass. The TTTF cultivars included RK4, 'Falcon V', 'Rebel IV', ATF 1376, 'Turbo', 'Shenandoah III', 'Justice', 'Firecracker LS', 'Rembrandt', and 'Faith'' Both experiments were established from seed in late spring. We compared two establishment time periods: 10 weeks and 14 weeks. We wanted to see if there was any difference in traffic tol- erance between these two establishment time periods. The dif- ference we constructed somewhat mimicked starting traffic during high school pre-season or waiting until a week or so into the season before allowing play. Once the establishment periods ended, simulated field use began using the Brinkman Traffic Simulator (BTS). We trafficked the plots 3 times per week with 4 passes of the BTS per day. We measured traffic tolerance by as- sessing percent ground cover in late November. It's important to remember that on this date, plots established for 10 weeks re- ceived 4 additional weeks of traffic simulation compared to the plots established for 14 weeks. In Experiment I, our late-November ratings showed traffic tolerance differences between perennial ryegrass and TTTF. When the two species were given only 10 weeks to establish prior to simulated field use, perennial ryegrass exhibited greater traffic tolerance than all TTTF cultivars. However, when species were allowed to establish for 14 weeks before traffic simulation, all TTTF cultivars had at least equal to, and at times, superior traffic tolerance to 'Fiesta IV' perennial ryegrass. Thus we are suggesting that TTTF can be successfully used as an alterna- tive to perennial ryegrass for summer renovation of sports fields if you can restrict play for at least 14 weeks. If you can only restrict use for 10 weeks or less after seeding perennial rye- grass will likely perform better. Of the TTTF cultivars we tested, Turbo, Rembrandt, Falcon V, and Rebel IV consistently performed better than the other cultivars tested. However, the separation between the best and worst TTTF cultivars was not large in either year. Kentucky-31, which is widely regarded as a utility turfgrass, always had the lowest traffic tolerance. SEEDING RATES AND N FERTILITY In Experiment II, we wanted to evaluate how seeding rates and nitrogen fertility affect fall traffic tolerance of TTTF after spring establishment. We looked at four seeding rates: 6, 10, 14, and 18 lb/1000 ft.2. We also looked at the following nitrogen rates: 2.0, 4.5, and 7.0 lb of N /1000 ft.2. Our goal was to de- termine an optimum seeding rate and nitrogen fertility that would maximize traffic tolerance. Multiple researchers have shown that when traffic is initiated >> Left: TTTF: 7 lb N/1000 ft.2 treatment after traffic simulation (Nov. 8, 2010) >> Right: TTTF: 2 lb N/1000 ft.2 treatment after traffic simulation (Nov. 8, 2010) >> Left: PERENNIAL RYEGRASS: 10-week establishment after traffic simu- lation (Nov. 17, 2010) >> Right: TTTF: 10-week establishment after traffic simulation (Nov. 17, 2010) shortly after seeding, it's beneficial to seed perennial ryegrass at very high seeding rates. However, our results indicate that no differences exist when seeding TTTF at rates between 6 and 18 lb/1000 ft.2 if traffic is delayed for at least 10 weeks after seed- ing. Thus 6 lb/1000 ft.2 is adequate. Although seeding rate had little effect, our nitrogen regimes appeared to significantly influ- ence traffic tolerance, but the results might not be what you would expect. Regardless of the establishment time, traffic toler- 10 SportsTurf | July 2012 >> Left: PERENNIAL RYEGRASS: 14-week establishment after traffic simu- lation (Nov. 17, 2010) >> Right: TTTF: 14-week establishment after traffic simulation (Nov. 17, 2010) www.sportsturfonline.com