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/765909
18 SportsTurf | January 2017 www.sportsturfonline.com FIELD SCIENCE Data from 2013-2015 can be found on the NTEP web site (http://www.ntep.org/reports/bg13/bg13_16-6/bg13_16-6.htm). Data from the early part of any NTEP trial needs to be used with caution, as additional years of data could affect entry performance. However, we are providing some initial data here with the caveat that these results may change over the new few years. For 2013 and 2014, the story on these entries is primarily establishment rate and then winter injury (and recovery from injury). Bermuda establishment from seed is most often faster than from sprigs; however, not all seeded entries establish at the same rate (of course, the same is true for vegetative entries). Establishment data showed 'JSC 2009-2-S,' 'JSC-2009-6-S,' 'Riviera' and 'BAR C291' finishing in the top statistical group at each of 15 locations. 'MBG 002,' 'JSC 2007-8-S' and 'JSC 2007-13-S' also performed well, finishing in the top statistical group at 14 locations. These entries often bettered 'Yukon' for establishment, and occasionally, 'Princess 77' and 'NuMex-Sahara.' Vegetative entry establishment rate varied more than with the seeded entries, with several entries showing consistency over many locations. Several new entries established equally well, if not better than well-known commercial entries, with outstanding performance at more locations. For instance, commercial entries 'Patriot' and 'Celebration' performed very well during establishment, finishing in the top statistical group at 13 and 10 locations, respectively. Topping that however, 'FAES 1325' finished in the top statistical group at 14 of 15 locations; 'OKC 1131' (12 of 15 locations), 'FAES 1326' (11 of 15 locations) and '11-T-510' (10 of 15 locations) also established well. The winter of 2013-2014 brought record low winter temperatures across much of the US, and the trials showed the effects of this extreme weather in spring and summer 2014. As noted above, because of the severe damage, two locations replanted all entries in summer 2014 and five locations replanted some of their entries. Before replanting, winter damage was assessed at these and other locations. Winter injury data averaged from Lexington, KY and West Lafayette, IN showed 'Yukon' with the lowest injury (22.8%) among seeded types (average damage ranged from 22.8 – 98.8%. LSD Value = 12.7). Among the vegetative entries at those two locations, 'OKC 1131' (14.5%) and 'Patriot' (30.8%) had the lowest average winter injury (range is 14.5 – 98.8%, LSD Value = 23.8). Since past top performers for winter injury showed more damage, i.e., 'Riviera' (55.2%) and 'Latitude 36' (57.3%), plant breeders may have made some improvements in bermudagrass winter survival. The third year of this trial (2015) was the first year of turfgrass quality data collected with plots being adequately established plots at all sites. As often happens, entry performance varied significantly by location. In fact, NTEP statistical analysis dictated that data from each location be published in separate tables, and not compiled by region or grouped. However, 'JSC-2-21-18-V,' 'TifTuf,' 'OKC 1131' and 'Latitude 36' were the only entries with turfgrass quality averages in the top 25% of all entries for turfgrass quality at 70+% of locations. One trait of considerable interest to turf managers is drought tolerance. At College Station, TX drought was imposed in summer 2015, and data being collected starting during the drought (mid-August) and continuing through recovery (mid-November). Throughout this 90-day period, percent living green cover ratings varied up to 40% among entries. Turfgrass quality ratings reflected this discrepancy with 'TifTuf' and 'OKC 1131' having higher overall quality ratings than almost every other entry. Our 2015 dataset also contains much data on traits such as color, texture and density, with initial data on traffic, drought and disease (http://www.ntep.org/reports/bg13/bg13_16-6/ bg13_16-6.htm). Again, this and other data needs to be repeated in multiple years before turf managers can feel confident in these results. Watch the NTEP web site (www.ntep.org) for this trial and other specie trial updates in 2017. Kevin Morris is Executive Director, National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, Beltsville, MD. He can be reached at kmorris@ntep.org. M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore resodded with Tifway bermuda after synthetic turf removal in May 2016.