Clipping Yield and Scalping Tendency Differ for Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass Cultivars.

Decreased budgets as well as greater attention towards sustainability have increased interest in reduced mowing requirements of golf course fairways and athletic fields.  Two growth parameters that impact mowing requirements are clipping yield and scalping tendency.  The objective of this study was to quantify the scalping tendency and clipping yield of various bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) and zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) cultivars.  Five bermudagrass cultivars and seven zoysiagrass cultivars were maintained under typical golf course fairway or sports field conditions to evaluate scalping tendencies and clipping yield in the summer of 2008 in Fayetteville, AR.  ‘Patriot’ bermudagrass was the cultivar most prone to scalping.  ‘Princess-77’ bermudagrass produced the highest clipping yields while ‘Cavalier’, ‘Meyer’, ‘Zorro’, and ‘Zenith’ zoysiagrass consistently yielded the lowest clipping yield.  These results will assist turfgrass managers to select cultivars or species that potentially require less frequent mowing and are less likely to scalp.