Maintaining high-quality athletic field playing surfaces without the use of synthetic pesticides is challenging. Little research is available regarding the best overseeding strategies for non-irrigated, pesticide-free, cool-season athletic fields. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of turfgrass species, cultivar, seeding rate, and seasons on turfgrass color, dark green color index (DGCI), cover, weeds, overall quality, surface hardness and volumetric water content when overseeded under trafficked conditions. Experiments were set out as randomized complete block designs arranged in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial with three replications. Treatments consisted of three turfgrass species, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (PRG), tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumont] (TF), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (KBG), two overseeding rates, low and high, and two cultivar types, inclusion or exclusion of cultivars on the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) list. Mean responses across three locations and three years indicated that species selection has the most influence on successful overseeding with little differences detected between rate of overseeding or cultivar selection. Perennial ryegrass, regardless of seeding rate, had significantly higher color, quality, percent turfgrass cover, desirable species index, and least percent weed cover compared with TF or KBG. Based on the results of this study, the most effective overseeding strategy for improving playing surface conditions on heavily trafficked, non-irrigated, pesticide-free, cool-season athletic fields is overseeding with PRG.
Many intensively trafficked areas such as athletic fields and golf courses require constant overseeding to maintain suitable turfgrass cover. Rapid seed germination and development are critical to managing these high wear areas. The objectives of this research were to determine the effect of water aeration, seed soaking duration, and water temperature on mean germination time (MGT) and final germination percentage (FGP) of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L., KBG) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L., PRG). Two separate controlled environment studies were conducted. PRG soaked in aerated water from 8 to 48 h had a 20% decrease in MGT compared to an untreated control, while treated KBG decreased MGT by only 10% compared to an untreated control. Soaking duration and water temperature had significant effects on KBG. KBG MGT was optimized at 20 C (68 F) water temperature with a soaking duration of 24 h. MGT of PRG was optimized when soaked for 8 h while water was aerated. There was no significant difference in FGP for any of the treatments tested. Index words: turfgrass, aeration, seed soaking. Species used in this study: Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.); perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.).
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