Turfgrass managers are in need of low‐input turfgrass species options. We have previously identified a number of species that do well as low‐input, sustainable turf in the north central United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate multiple cultivars of turfgrass species with known adaption to low‐input environments in the North Central Region. Twenty‐five turfgrass cultivars and selections, representing ten grass species, were evaluated at eight locations. Plots were established in late summer 2007, and after establishment were maintained at 7.6 cm without inputs of pesticides, fertilizer, or supplemental irrigation. Tall fescue, Chewings fescue, hard fescue, and colonial bentgrass performed well at most locations. Sheep fescue, tufted hairgrass, and prairie junegrass all performed adequately at some locations, and poorly at others. Texas bluegrass hybrids and the single Idaho bentgrass entry were not well adapted to most of the region.
Diminishing availability and increasing costs of herbicides cause strawberry growers to seek both chemical and nonchemical alternatives, especially for within-row weed control soon after strawberries are transplanted. Several weed control treatments for strawberry establishment were examined during 2 yr in Minnesota. Treatments included: woolen landscaping fabric centered over the crop row; as above, but 2-ply fabric; spring canola incorporated into soil when 30 cm tall; as above, but canola killed with burndown herbicide and left as mulch; standard herbicide, DCPA; hand weeded; and no weed control. Areas between all strawberry rows were cultivated. Measurements included weed densities and weights, numbers of strawberry daughter plants, and fruit yield 1 yr after transplantation. The best alternative treatment was the 1-ply woolen fabric. It nearly eliminated weeds from rows, promoted daughter plant rooting, and allowed maximum fruit yields, equivalent to those of the DCPA and hand-weeded treatments. Canola mulch controlled weeds inconsistently and achieved only modest to low production of daughter plants and fruit. Weed control and fruit yield with incorporated canola were similar to the weedy check treatment.
Common groundsel is an important weed of strawberry and other horticultural crops. Few herbicides are registered for common groundsel control in such crops, and understanding and predicting the timing and extent of common groundsel emergence might facilitate its management. We developed simple emergence models on the basis of soil thermal time and soil hydrothermal time and validate them with the use of field-derived data from Minnesota and Ohio. Soil thermal time did not predict the timing and extent of seedling emergence as well as hydrothermal time. Soil hydrothermal time, adjusted for shading effects caused by straw mulch in strawberry, greatly improved the accuracy of seedling emergence predictions. Although common groundsel generally emerges from sites at or near the soil surface, the hydrothermal model better predicts emergence when using hydrothermal time at 5 cm rather than 0.005 cm, probably because of the volatility of soil temperature and water potential near the soil surface.
Growers desire more techniques to control weeds in horticultural crops that are grown organically and consumed directly, such as red raspberry. Abrasive grit emited via high air pressure is a new method for controlling weeds. Grit derived from corn cobs was examined for its efficacy during the year of raspberry establishment for 2 to 3 years at three sites (seven site-years) and compared with efficacy of hand-weeding as well as no weed control. Grit was applied once or twice weekly after raspberry transplantation in spring until weed emergence ceased in mid to late July. Weeds and raspberry growth were assessed in August. Grit was effective in controlling broadleaf weeds, averaging 94% control across site-years, but control of grass weeds was less than 10%. Total weed (broadleaf plus grass) control across site-years ranged from 51% to 96% and averaged 78%. Raspberry cane growth was affected by weeds, and grit-weeding at least partially alleviated these effects. Thus, abrasive grit allows growers to manage broadleaf weeds effectively without herbicides or soil tillage. However, additional research is needed to determine the correct amounts and timing of grit applications, as well as more efficacious types of grit, to control grass weeds.
In 1984 and 1985, 21 landscape plant introductions from northern Japan were distributed for testing in the NC-7 Regional Ornamental Plant Trials. Seventeen of these introductions were evaluated for 10 years at six to ten sites representing a cross-section of growing conditions in the north central United States. For these 17 introductions, first-year survival averaged 60%; however, by year 10, fewer than 20% of the original 425 plants were alive. Based on these evaluations, the populations could be divided into four groups. One population of Rosa rugosa was adapted to most trial sites; two populations (Alnus hirsuta and Lonicera chrysantha) were adapted to some sites; three populations were of poorly adapted dieback shrubs, and the remaining 11 populations included a diverse set of trees and shrubs unadapted to any, or nearly any, trial site. Temperature and moisture data from Japan and from trial sites were used to examine relationships between plant adaptation and climate. Statistically significant, multiple-regression models were calculated to describe the functional relationships between temperature and moisture conditions and plant adaptation at the various trial sites. Our models predict that plants from northern Japan are best adapted to sites in the northeastern United States where moisture surpluses exceed those typically found in the north central United States. These models also suggest criteria to evaluate sites throughout northeastern Asia for future exploration.
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