Water Use in 30 cultivars of Kentucky Bluegrasses
One of the most important challenges facing the turfgrass industry today is
the increasingly limited supply of water for irrigation. Because the acreage
of turfgrass is increasing with urban expansion, demands for water for the
irrigation of turfgrass will also continue to increase. Irrigation requirements
of multiple cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass are being evaluated under a rainout
shelter to identify cultivars that maintain good visual quality with less water.
Summary Points
• Twenty eight cultivars of Kentucky bluegrasses and two Texas
bluegrass hybrids were established under a large rainout shelter located in
the transition zone.
•
Individual cultivars were evaluated in the field from June through September
2007 for their visual quality and total water requirements during repeated
drydowns.
•
Cultivars in the Compact America and Mid-Atlantic groups generally performed
better (higher quality, lesser water requirements) and “Common” types
poorer (lower quality, greater water requirements) among phenotypic groups
although there was significant variability even among cultivars within each
group.
•
This study will be repeated in 2008 to integrate effects of climatic variability
and to evaluate cultivars in their second year of establishment.
•
Greenhouse rooting studies are underway, where genetic rooting potential of
the same 30 cultivars, their performances during drydown, recovery after rewetting
and finally, root biomass by depth will be evaluated.
•
This research is anticipated to produce a list of NTEPs best-performing cultivars
of Kentucky bluegrasses into categories with high, medium, and low irrigation
requirements.
Project leaders: Dale Bremer, Steve Keeley, Jack Fry, and Jason Lewis, Kansas State University.
This project is funded by the U.S. Golf Association and Turfgrass Producers International.
Publication:
Bremer, D.J., S.J. Keeley, J.D. Fry, and J. Lewis. 2007. Comparative Irrigation Requirements of 30 Cultivars of Kentucky Bluegrasses under a Large Rainout Facility in the Transition Zone. USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Summary.
