Monday, 6 October 2008
George R. Brown Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Jon Trappe, Mike Richardson, Aaron Patton and Doug Karcher, Horticulture, University of Arkansas, 1 University of Arkansas, 316 PTSC, Fayetteville, AR 72701
Overseeding cool-season turfgrass
into dormant-warm-season turf is a practice implemented
by turfgrass managers to improve aesthetics and provide an actively growing
playing surface.� This study was
conducted to determine the effects of three pre-plant cultivation techniques
and traffic on the establishment of five
overseeding turfgrass species.� In September 2007, five overseeding
species [annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), intermediate
ryegrass (Lolium hybridum Hausskn.), meadow
fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and tetraploid
perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.
2n=4x=28)] were established into �Riviera'
bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.)
Pers.] that received three
different pre-plant cultivation techniques including core-aerification, vertical
mowing, and an untreated control. Overseeding grasses were seeded at manufacturer
recommended rates.� Overseeding turf coverage differed between
species and pre-plant cultivation techniques, but no interaction existed
between species and cultivation.� Plots aerified before seeding resulted in the greatest overseeding turf coverage when rated in November 2007 and
March 2008.� Perennial and annual
ryegrass overseeded plots had the highest turf
coverage when rated in November 2007, however, annual
ryegrass was less than perennial ryegrass in March 2008. Traffic was more
damaging when applied 4 WAP (weeks after planting) than 1 or 2 WAP. There was
an interaction between species and traffic with perennial ryegrass less
affected by traffic timing than other species. Based on this trial, turf
coverage was greatest when aerifying before overseeding dormant bermudagrass with perennial ryegrass. ��