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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #269834
Title: Percentage of green cover among Kentucky bluegrass (poa pratensis L.) cultivars and accessions given irrigation deficits over summer

Author
item Bushman, Shaun
item Waldron, Blair
item Robins, Joseph
item BHATTARAI, KISHOR - Utah State University
item JOHNSON, PAUL - Utah State University

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/28/2011
Publication Date: 11/11/2011
Citation: Bushman, B.S., Waldron, B.L., Robins, J.G., Bhattarai, K., Johnson, P. 2011. Percentage of green cover among Kentucky bluegrass (poa pratensis L.) cultivars and accessions given irrigation deficits over summer. Crop Sci. 52:400-407.

Interpretive Summary: Kentucky bluegrass is a widely-used, high-quality, sod-producing turfgrass. To maintain an acceptable level of quality and function requires irrigation in the semi-arid regions of the western U.S. Landscape water use, however, is coming under increased scrutiny, and reducing water inputs is a goal of many municipalities. To identify Kentucky bluegrass that maintains green color under low irrigation over summer seasons, this study evaluated the percent of green cover of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and accessions and other bluegrass species. Cultivars generally had higher green cover in spring and fall, while several accessions and old U.S. cultivars showed higher green cover during summer months. Other bluegrass species did not have percent green cover values above any cultivars, and as a group consistently performed the lowest.

Technical Abstract: Kentucky bluegrass is a widely-used, high-quality, sod-producing turfgrass. To maintain an acceptable level of quality and function requires irrigation in the semi-arid regions of the western U.S. Landscape water use, however, is coming under increased scrutiny, and reducing water inputs is a goal of many municipalities. To identify Kentucky bluegrass that maintains green color under low irrigation over summer seasons, this study evaluated the percent of green cover of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and accessions and other bluegrass species. Cultivars generally had higher green cover in spring and fall, while several accessions and old U.S. cultivars showed higher green cover during summer months. Other bluegrass species did not have percent green cover values above any cultivars, and as a group consistently performed the lowest.