Mixing warm‐season turfgrass cultivars to reduce weed pressure and increase lawn quality

Abstract

AbstractSt. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze] is a warm‐season turfgrass widely planted in monoculture throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Monocultures preserve desirable inheritable traits but may predispose turfgrass lawns to pest invasion and reliance on high‐maintenance inputs. Evidence from multiple plant systems suggests that increasing inter‐ or intra‐specific plant diversity increases resilience to biotic and abiotic stress. Here, we tested if mixing St. Augustinegrass cultivars would be a viable approach to reducing weed invasion and increasing turfgrass lawn quality compared with cultivar monocultures. Mixed‐cultivar plantings grew into denser stands of grass, which translated to about 4% less weed cover than cultivar monocultures. Digital image analysis showed that mixtures of four cultivars grew into higher quality turfgrass stands than cultivar monocultures. This study provides novel evidence that cultivar blends may reduce weed pressure and enhance St. Augustinegrass lawn quality, which, combined with other potential resilience benefits, may create a more sustainable approach to warm‐season turfgrass lawn production and management.