Abstract
Throughout much of the Southwestern United States, poor quality water and limited water resources require innovative methods to conserve water. No research to date has indicated whether seeded bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon can be established by using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). In 2001 (Expt. I) and 2002 (Expt. II), seeded bermudagrass was evaluated for establishment using SDI. Treatments consisted of emitters and tubing spaced at 30, 46, and 61 cm. The control treatment consisted of pop-up sprinklers. Salinity accumulation is a concern when irrigating turfgrass in areas of poor water quality and low annual rainfall. Salinity accumulation was visible at the soil surface during establishment in 2001, but turfgrass showed no visible signs of stress due to salinity. In 2002, substantial rainfall reduced salinity accumulation during establishment as salinity was not present on the soil surface. Salinity accumulation was greater in most months at the 0-15 cm depth in both years compared to the 15-30 cm depth. Full turfgrass coverage (≥90%) for the control plots in 2001 was about 8.5 weeks and the SDI treatments had complete coverage in 10 weeks. Turfgrass coverage for all treatments in 2002 was 9 weeks. Expt. II had a slightly faster establishment rate due to greater rainfall and different soil characteristics than that of Expt. I. Root count and depth of roots for both years showed roots to 61 cm depth in all treatments. A general trend of higher salinity accumulation at the midpoint between tubing was seen in Expts. I and II. However, after significant rainfall salinity levels returned to concentrations comparable to initial soil salinity concentrations in both years. This research documents the ability to successfully establish seeded bermudagrass using SDI.
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