Competition ability of selected amenity varieties of Festuca rubra in mixture with Deschampsia caespitosa

Abstract

Svobodová M., Martinek J., Králíčková T., Našinec I., Šantrůček J. (2013) were found with F. rubra ssp. trichophylla. Its particular tillers had the lowest dry weight (0.32 g/100 tillers). The lowest number of tillers (32.9 thousand/m 2 ) and low weight of dry aboveground phytomass (134 g/m 2 )showed mixtures with F. rubra ssp. rubra, whose tiller weight was relatively high (0.42 g/100 tillers). The size of F. rubra tillers was not influenced either by the mixture composition or by vegetation years. The number of F. rubra tillers was not significantly different in the third and first vegetation year. The number of D. caespitosa tillers in monoculture decreased during the years from 45 to 30 thousand/m 2 , but the weight of dry aboveground phytomass increased significantly from 233 g/m 2 to 318 g/m 2 . Poor competition of D. caespitosa was found in the mixture with F. rubra ssp. commutata (on average 4% of total number of tillers and 7% of the total weight of the dry aboveground phytomass). F. rubra ssp. trichophylla was less competitive and the least competition with D. caespitosa was found in F. rubra ssp. rubra, After three years the proportion of D. caespitosa in mixtures with F. rubra ssp. rubra significantly increased to 36% of the total number of tillers and to 55% of the total weight of phytomass. Mixtures of D. caespitosa and F. rubra ssp. rubra were found to be promising for low input lawns.

Morphological characterization and turf performance of Paula hard fescue and Casero colonial bentgrass selections under low maintenance conditions

“…are intensifying the need to reduce water consumption, and emphasis has been placed on selecting species and cultivars for establishment of high-quality turf in cities and in the countryside (Svobodová et al 2013). The use of grasses that require less management inputs would provide advantages over conventional turf blends by reducing the need for fertilization, pest control, irrigation and mowing.…”