35-6 Determining Base Temperatures for Warm- and Cool-Season Turfgrass Species.

See more from this Division: C05 Turfgrass Science
See more from this Session: Turfgrass Ecology and Management (student competition)

Monday, November 7, 2016: 9:15 AM
Phoenix Convention Center North, Room 223

Ethan Flournoy, Mississippi State University, Slocomb, AL, Christian M. Baldwin, Plant Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, Barry R. Stewart, 32 Creelman Street, Box 9555, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, Herbert W. Philley, PO Box 9555, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, James D. McCurdy, 117 Dorman Hall, PO Box 9555, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State University, MS, Stephen Wait, Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, K. Raja Reddy, Box 9555, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS and William Collin Kreuser, Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Abstract:
Base temperature has been described in many ways, but it is essentially the point at which a plant is physiologically inactive.  Currently, in the turfgrass industry, the base temperature for recommended growing degree day models have been arbitrarily assigned.  Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine and compare the base temperatures of industry standards vs. newly available cultivars of warm- and cool-season species.  This study was conducted in SPAR (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research) units.  Each SPAR chamber consists of a steel soil bin (1 m deep by 2 m long by 0.5 m wide) and a 1.27 cm thick Plexiglas chamber (2.5 m tall by 2.0 m long by 1.5 m wide) to accommodate root and aerial plant parts. The Plexiglas transmits 97% of the visible solar radiation to pass without spectral variability in absorption (wavelength 400–700 nm).  Turfgrass species included bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, seashore paspalum, creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue.  Warm-season species were subjected to a day/night temperature (oC) regime of 20/12, 25/17, 30/22, 35/27, and 40/32.  Cultivars included TifEagle, MSB-285, Tifway, and Latitude 36 bermudagrass, and Meyer zoysiagrass.  Cool-season species were subjected to a day/night temperature (oC) regime of 13/5, 18/10, 23/15, 28/20, and 33/25.  Cultivars included Penncross, L-93, and Penn-A4 creeping bentgrass, Midnight Kentucky bluegrass, Fiesta 4 perennial ryegrass, and Falcon V tall fescue.  Shoot biomass was collected every three days and root biomass was harvested at the end of the study.

See more from this Division: C05 Turfgrass Science
See more from this Session: Turfgrass Ecology and Management (student competition)