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Browsing by Subject "snow mold"

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    Evaluation of fine fescues as alternative golf course fairway turfgrasses
    (2016-05) Reiter, Maggie
    In the cool-season region of the United States, golf courses traditionally grow high-input grasses like creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera, L.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis, L.), annual bluegrass (Poa annua, L.), and/or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) on fairways. Grass species exist that are more sustainable than those currently being used for golf course fairway turf. Low-input fine fescue species could be able to withstand the pressure from typical turfgrass disease and stresses while producing acceptable turf and excellent playing quality with fewer overall inputs of pesticides, water, and fertilizer. Little research has been conducted on these species in a fairway setting, so golf course managers have been hesitant to use fine fescues. This project conducted research to overcome these barriers and thus begin using low-input fine fescues for fairways on golf courses throughout the northern United States. The objective of the first experiment was to evaluate fine fescue species’ performance as fairway turfgrass under an acute drought. Field trials were conducted at two locations under a rainout shelter. Mixtures that contained large proportions (>33%) of Chewings fescue [Festuca rubra ssp. commutata (Thuill.) Nyman] had the greatest green cover at the end of the drought period. The marginal effects summary revealed no significant differences among species success after drought. Overall, this study found that fine fescues can provide acceptable turf quality and playability on golf course fairways resulting in lower irrigation inputs. The objectives of the second project were to determine the effect of the plant growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl on the performance of fine fescue mixtures when managed as a golf course fairway and identify fine fescue mixtures that perform well under traffic stress. The marginal effects summaries showed hard fescue [Festuca trachyphylla (Hack.) Krajina], slender creeping red fescue [Festuca rubra ssp. litoralis (G.F.W. Meyer) Auquier.], strong creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. rubra Gaudin), and sheep fescue (Festuca ovina, L.) had the greatest component effect on visual turfgrass quality, and were all statistically similar. Strong creeping red fescue was more susceptible to dollar spot disease (caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) than the other species. The third experiment evaluated fine fescue species and mixtures for snow mold resistance on three golf courses in Minnesota. In the spring of 2013, 2014, and 2015, there was no damage from snow mold. These grasses may be resistant to the pathogens; however, our observations in higher cut fine fescue suggest that snow mold and snow scald diseases can be a problem in these grasses. Although the objective to determine if fine fescue fairways require fungicides at currently-recommended application rates to survive winter snow mold pressure was not accomplished, turf quality data taken over 2 years was analyzed. Mixtures maintained significantly better turfgrass quality than any of the five species alone.