Low‐input golf course putting green performance of fine‐textured inter‐ and intra‐specific zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.)

Abstract

AbstractThirty fine‐textured inter‐ and intra‐specific zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) hybrids and eight Z. pacifica (Goudsw.) M. Hotta & S. Kuroki genotypes were tested in comparison to Z. matrella (L.) Merr. cultivars, ‘Diamond’ and ‘L1F’, for their performance under low‐input golf course putting green management practices from 2014 to 2018 in Dallas, TX. Turfgrass quality, shoot density, genetic color, fall color, spring greenup, and winter survival were visually rated on a 1 to 9 scale (9 = high quality, dark green, very dense, and complete greenup). Seedheads were rated in spring, summer, and fall as a percentage of plot cover. Thirteen elite hybrids from seven different pedigrees were selected, and ball roll distance was measured 8 times between 15 August and 14 September in 2017. Clear statistical differences were not observed among pedigrees for most traits except seedhead production under the low‐input management conditions. However, strong genotype differences were evident. The results suggest under‐utilized species could be exploited by plant breeders to use as parental lines and develop hybrids with desirable traits such as finer leaf texture, low seedhead production, fall color retention and early spring green up. One Z. minima (Colenso) Zotov × Z. matrella hybrid and one (Z. minima × Z. matrella) × Z. japonica Steud. hybrid have been advanced to the 2019 National Warm‐Season Putting Green Trial conducted by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Progra (NTEP) for multi‐location and multi‐year performance testing.