LOW INPUT TURFGRASS SPECIES STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS TRYGVE S. AAMLID NIBIO TURFGRASS RESEARCH GROUP

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1 LOW INPUT TURFGRASS SPECIES STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS TRYGVE S. AAMLID NIBIO TURFGRASS RESEARCH GROUP

2 Low input of what? Pesticides (incl. growth regulators) Water Nutrients Mowing Mechanical treatments: Verticutting, aeration, rolling etc. Seed and labor for reestablishment (Fossile) Energy

3 STERF s newly revised Guide to Turfgrass Species (2015)

4 The Grass Guide s ranking of 16 species/subspecies for 13 various characters (1-9) Species Establishment rate Tiller density Leaf fineness Winter hardiness Winter color Fertilizer requirement Hoizontal growth Wear tolerance Toleance to in-season diseases Agrostis canina A. capilliaris 6 6* 5* 6* A. stolonifera Desc. cespitosa Festuca ovina * Festuca rubra ssp. commutata ssp. litoralis ssp. rubra * 5* F. trachyphylla Lolium perenne L. multiforum Poa annua Poa pratensis Poa supina Poa trivialis Toleramnce to low mowing Shade tolerance Drought tolewrance Salt tolerance

5 Low input characteristics Species Establishment rate Tiller density Leaf fineness Winter hardiness Winter color Fertilizer requirement Hoizontal growth Wear tolerance Toleance to in-season diseases Agrostis canina A. capilliaris 6 6* 5* 6* A. stolonifera Desc. cespitosa Festuca ovina * Festuca rubra ssp. commutata ssp. litoralis ssp. rubra * 5* F. trachyphylla Lolium perenne L. multiforum Poa annua Poa pratensis Poa supina Poa trivialis Toleramnce to low mowing Shade tolerance Drought tolerance Salt tolerance

6 Which grasses are low input? Species Establishment rate Tiller density Leaf fineness Winter hardiness Winter color Fertilizer requirement Hoizontal growth Wear tolerance Toleance to in-season diseases Agrostis canina A. capilliaris 6 6* 5* 6* A. stolonifera Desc. cespitosa Festuca ovina * Festuca rubra ssp. commutata ssp. litoralis ssp. rubra * 5* F. trachyphylla Lolium perenne L. multiforum Poa annua Poa pratensis Poa supina Poa trivialis Toleramnce to low mowing Shade tolerance Drought tolewrance Salt tolerance

7 Ecological adaptation Competitive species Stress tolerant species Ruderal species Pioneers / fast in establishment

8 Ecological adaptation Low input species are often, but not always, characterized by high stress tolerance Kentucky bluegrass Velvet bent Red fescue Hard fescue Sheep s fescue Stress tolerant species Supina bluegrass Competitive species Perennial ryegrass Creeping bent Browntop = Colonial bent Annual bluegrass Rough bluegrass Ruderal species Pioneers / fast in establishment

9 Low input species for greens 9

10 SCANGREEN variety trials: In the two last test rounds the two subspecies of red fescues have been ranked higher for overall quality than the bentgrasses X Reykjavik Landvik X T Sørlig, kystnær sone Apelsvoll X Apelsvoll X Sydsjælland T Visual turf quality (1-9) Mean No of trials Chewings Nordlig, fescue Slender kontinental creeping sone red fescue Browntop/ colonial bentgrass Velvet bentgrass Landvik Creeping bentgrass WHY IS THAT SO?

11 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides

12 IN-SEASON DISEASE: MEAN VALUES FOR SPECIES IN (UNSPRAYED) SCANGREEN VARIETY TESTING, Total in-season diseases, % of plot area Mean No of trials Chewings fescue Slender creeping red fescue Browntop/ colonial bentgrass Velvet bentgrass Creeping bentgrass

13 Fescue + bent Pure fescue Take-all disease (Gaeumannomyces graminis) 13

14 MICRODOCHIUM PATCH (FORMERLY OFTEN CALLED FUSARIUM) In Poa annua In Agrostis sp. In Festuca rubra Red fescue is not resistant, but patches are usually more superfical than the patches in bents and Poa

15 EXCEPTION FROM THE GENERAL DISEASE PATTERN: RED THREAD (LAETISARIA FUCIFORMIS) IS USUALLY MORE PREVALENT IN FESCUES THAN IN POAS AND BENTS RED THREAD IS A TYPICAL LOW NITROGEN DISEASE 15

16 WINTER DISEASES Red fescue is affected by pink snow mold, and there are differences among varieties in susceptibility SCANGREEN, Apelsvoll, May 2005

17 But compared with Poa and bents, red fescues are usually more resistant Perennial ryegrass Red fescues Bentgrasses Norwegian breeding lines of chewings fescue SCANGREEN, Apelsvoll, May 2008

18 WINTER DAMAGE: MEAN VALUES FOR SPECIES IN (UNSPRAYED) SCANGREEN VARIETY TESTING, Total in-season diseases, % of plot area Total winter damage, % of plot area Mean Mean No of trials Chewings fescue Slender creeping red fescue Browntop/ colonial bentgrass Velvet bentgrass Creeping bentgrass

19 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement

20 Fescues have less tolerance to ice encasement than velvet and creeping bent Photo from Iceland, Bjarni Hannesson

21 SURVIVIAL OF DIFFERENT GRASS SPECIES UNDER ICE ON GOLF GREENS, % live turf cover after two weeks of regrowth Days under ice cover Velvet bentgrass Villa Creeping bentgrass Independence Chewings fescue Musica Slender creeping red fescue Cezanne Browntop AberRoyal Poa annua From STERFs winter survival project (Waalen et al.)

22 SURVIVIAL OF DIFFERENT GRASS SPECIES ON GOLF GREENS, Velvet bent Creeping bent Colonial bent Poa annua Red fescues Poa annua

23 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement Relatively slow establishment and high sensivity to germination inhibitors? - Reestablishment from seed difficult

24 GERMINATION RATE AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES Aamlid 1989

25 Does an ice-killed fescue green contain more germination inhibitors than an ice-killed creeping bentgrass green? Seeds watered with pure water (control) Seeds watered with extract from creeping bentgrass thatch/mat Seeds imbibed with extract from red fescue thatch/mat Root length of new seedlings Perennial ryegrass seed Poa annua seed Red fescue seed Gussin & Lynch (1981) Yes, it is more difficult to reestablish a red fescue green than a creeping bentgrass green (STERF research underway!)

26 Allelopathic effects of red fescue? Research at Cornell University: Some red fescue varieties, e.g. Intrigue secrete root exudates containing the amino acid m- thyrosine m-thyrosine inhibits germination and growth of Poa annua Control Intrigue, More research needed! Golf Course Management 76(2), 2008

27 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement Slow establishment and high sensivity to germination inhibitors? - Reestablishment from seed difficult Low density - Susceptible to invasion by moss (and Poa annua?)

28 TILLER DENSITY: MEAN VALUES FOR SPECIES IN SCANGREEN VARIETY TESTING, Tiller density (1-9) Mean No of trials Chewings fescue Slender creeping red fescue Browntop/colonial bentgrass Velvet bentgrass Creeping bentgrass

29 IN THE SCANGREEN VARIETY TRIALS, LOWER DENSITY HAS RESULTED IN MORE MOSS IN FESCUES THAN IN BENTS % moss by end of trial Mean No of trials Chewings fescue Slender creeping red fescue Browntop/ colonial bentgrass Velvet bentgrass Creeping bentgrass Photo: Yajun Chen

30 Red fescue varieties with higher density are more comptetitive to moss invasion (SCANGREEN , Landvik)

31 More Poa annua on fescue greens? Poa annua is usually more distinct/visible on fescue greens than on bentgrass greens. With high rainfall and the combination of low mowing height and high fertility, fescue greens are usually more invaded by Poa annua than bentgrass greens. However, but this may be different if we manage to take advantage of the greater differences in ecological adaptation between fescue and Poa than between Poa and bentgrasses. In SCANGREEN there hasn t been more Poa annua on fescue plots than on bentgrass plots (Poa has mainly occupied scars after take-all and other diseases) Photo: Yajun Chen

32 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Low nutrient requirement - savings on fertilizer Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement Relatively slow establishment and high sensivity to germination inhibitors? - Reestablishment from seed difficult Low density - Susceptible to invasion by moss (and Poa annua?)

33 RED FESCUE S LOW INPUT NATURE IS REFLECTED IN ITS RESPONSE TO NITROGEN Ericsson et al. 2012, pot trials Slender creeping red fescue Chewings fescue Velvet bent Creeping bent 33

34 Response to nitrogen Growth rate a Luxury consumption A b c C B e f g Increasing fertility / N concentration in leaves Fescue has less capacity for dry matter production and therefore requires less N than Poa annua and bents If fertilization of greens with a mixed species compostion is increased, other species than red fescue will benefit from it and become more dominant After Tom Ericsson

35 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Low nutrient requirement - savings on fertilizer Drought tolerant - less water needed for irrigation Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement Relatively slow establishment and high sensivity to germination inhibitors? - Reestablishment from seed difficult Low density - Susceptible to invasion by moss (and Poa annua?)

36 The most water-saving treatment in STERF s irrigation trials: Deficit irrigation once a week Red fescue, 2015 Creeping bentgrass, 2011 Med vätmedel With surfactant No surfactant Utan Revolution No surfactant

37 Drought avoidance due to deeper roots in red fescue? Photo: Agnar Kvalbein

38 BUT THERE ALWAYS MORE ROOTS IN THE FESCUES? Ericsson et al. 2012, pot trials Slender creeping red fescue Chewings fescue Velvet bent Creeping bent 38

39 TOP / ROOT RATIOS Ericsson et al. 2012, pot trials Slender creeping red fescue Chewings fescue Velvet bent Creeping bent 39

40 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Low nutrient requirement - savings on fertilizer Drought tolerant - less water needed for irrigation Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement Relatively slow establishment and high sensivity to germination inhibitors? - Reestablishment from seed difficult Low density - Susceptible to invasion by moss (and Poa annua?) - Low wear tolerance Upright growth - Less tolerance to close mowing - No or limited development of rhizomes - Low recuperative capacity

41 THE UPRIGHT FESCUE PLANT

42 GROWTH HABIT: RED FESCUE ALLOCATES MOST RESOURCES TO UPRIGHT GROWTH Daily height growth, mm Mean No of trials Chewings fescue Slender creeping red fescue Browntop/colonial bentgrass Velvet bentgrass Creeping bentgrass

43 Tolerance to low mowing? Compared with bentgrasses, the green leaf canopy is positioned higher on fescue plants Stronger effect of mowing height on green color in fescues than in bents 3 mm 4.5 mm 5 mm 7.5 mm Creeping bent Fescue

44 Slender and even strong creeping red fescue have limited horizontal growth compared with creeping bent and Kentucky bluegrass F. rubra ssp. rubra Strong creeping red fescue F. rubra ssp. litoralis Slender creeping red fescue F. rubra ssp. commutata Chewings fescue Photo: DLF Trifolium

45 Low input fescues are not wear tolerant and have poor recuperative capacity Red fescue with wear Perennial ryegrass with wear Red fescue without wear Perennial ryegrass with wear

46 STRONG AND WEAK CHARACTERISTICS OF RED FESCUE ON GREENS Strong characteristics Strong against summer and winter diseases - less need for fungicides Low nutrient requirement - savings on fertilizer Drought tolerant - less water needed for irrigation Dark and lignified thatch - hard greens (too hard?) - different microbial flora Weak characteristics Vulnerable to abiotic winter damages - ice encasement Relatively slow establishment and high sensivity to germination inhibitors? - Reestablishment from seed difficult Low density - Susceptible to invasion by moss (and Poa annua?) - Low wear tolerance Upright growth - Less tolerance to close mowing - No or limited development of rhizomes - Low recuperative capacity

47 Thatch after 18 months in the first SCANGREEN trial at Landvik Before we started a regular topdressing program Red fescue Colonial bent Creeping bent Velvet bent

48 Mat on 2-3 year old greens after weekly topdressing (8 mm sand/yr) Red fescue Creeping bentgrass 48

49 Surface hardness Students testing golf ball bounce at Landvik Photo: Agnar Kvalbein

50 Surface hardness Measuring distance from ball mark Photo: Agnar Kvalbein

51 Ball movement, cm Ball bounce after pitching from ca 50 m Relative nitrogen level (100= reqirement for maximal growth) 40 % 60 % 100 % F.rubra Chewings 'Center'F.rubra Slender 'CezanneA. cap Colonial 'Barking'A.can Velvet Chewings 'Legendary' fescue creeping red bentgrass bentgrass fescue fescue 0.6, 0.9, 0.6, 0.9, 0.9, 1.3, , 1.3, N input 1.5, kg N/100m2/year

52 FINALLY SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-INPUT FESCUES OF SPECIAL RELEVANCE FOR FAIRWAYS AND ROUGHS

53 HERBICIDE TOLERANCE The following herbicides can be used for control of other grasses in fine fescues (most of them are labelled in red fescue seed production in Scandinavia) Product on Scandinavian market Agil Boxer Fusilade Focus Ultra Puma Extra Axial (Rescue 1 ) Select Active ingredient propaquizafop prosulfocarb fluazifop-p-butyl cycloxydim fenoxaprop-p-ethyl pinoxaden chletodim Roundup (+ other brand names)?? Glyphosate?? 1 Turf formulation not approved in Scandinavia. What is sustainable herbicide use on wall-to-wall fescue courses?

54 TOLERANCE TO SUBMERSION / HIGH WATER TABLES MORE RESEARCH NEEDED! 54 Photo: Morten Fuglehaug

55 HARD AND SHEEP S FESCUES Strong characteristics Weak characteristics Very drought tolerant - Keeps green color throughout year, even during dry periods - Quick to green up after drought Low nutrient requirements Do not tolerate high water tables Poor wear tolerance Low (no?) recuperative capacity Slow in establishment Mostly poor winter hardiness

56 Colonial bents Sheep/ hard fescues Perennial ryegrass Red fescues Drought tolerance in sheep s fescue hard fescue

57 Hard fescues and sheeps fescues may have interesting features in low-input fairways and roughs Chewings fecue Slender creeping red fescue Strong creeping red fescue Hard fescues Landvik, 27 Feb. 2015, after one month of snow cover 57

58 Native seeds of sheep s fescue: The ideal grass for high-biodiversity, flowering meadows (high roughs?) THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION