Evapotranspiration of Cool-season Grasses Grown with Minimal Maintenance

Abstract

Evapotranspiration (ET) of three perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars and one cultivar each of colonial bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) was measured in the field. Soil water depletion was measured with a neutron probe. Under minimal maintenance (i.e., no irrigation and infrequent mowing), ET was not significantly different for five perennial grasses. All grasses used more water than the bare-ground treatment. Soil water uptake was greatest in the upper soil layer (O to 25 cm) and decreased with depth. Few differences in water uptake were noted among grasses within each soil layer.