Abstract
Abstract The selection of a genotype for lawn use must consider the plant survival rate and its soil covering ability, which is directly influenced by the growth of stolons and rhizomes. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and development of Paspalum accession plugs for turfgrass establishment. Plugs of six prostrate growth accessions of Paspalum lepton (PL 01), P. notatum (from PN 01 to PN 06) and Zoysia japonica (ZJ 01), which was used as the control treatment, were planted adding up to 7 treatments. At 63 days after planting, the survival rate, the number of shoots, the expansion capacity, plant height and soil coverage rate were evaluated. Moreover, at 72 days after planting, fresh and dry leaf, root, rhizome and/or stolon biomass, as well as root length were evaluated. Plugs of PL 01 presented the highest values regarding the number of shoots, the expansion capacity, soil coverage and the development of the root system with the largest biomass production. PL 01 and PN 05 along with ZJ 01 presented a high soil coverage rate and all the P. notatum (PN) accessions together with ZJ 01 maintained a lower plant height, but with a length root system higher than the control treatment ZJ 01. The P. lepton (PL 01) and P. notatum (PN 05) accessions can be recommended for turfgrass establishment using plug propagation methods.
Highlights
Turfgrass has been used by humans to enhance their environment for over 10 centuries (Dhanasekaran, 2018)
As the plant architecture and soil cover may vary between species or between genotypes of the same species, this study aimed to evaluate the growth and development of Paspalum accessions for turfgrass establishment through planting a single plug
Differences were observed for the variables evaluated regarding growth and plant development, which allow the selection of Paspalum accessions for turfgrass establishment using the plug propagation methods
Summary
Turfgrass has been used by humans to enhance their environment for over 10 centuries (Dhanasekaran, 2018). The turfgrass industry is a millionaire sector in the world. In Brazil, this sector stands out for lawns are present in football and golf fields, gardens, road side, urban landscaping, industrial areas, and parks (Souza et al, 2016). In Brazil, the species is very popular for urban areas and it has been used for many different purposes such as recreational and ornamental lawns in tropical conditions, in industrial complexes and on road side (Castro et al, 2015a; Souza et al, 2016; Silva et al, 2018). P. notatum is a species that presents an extensive and deep root system which makes it tolerant to drought (Castro et al, 2015b)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
