Quality assessment of three warm-season turfgrasses growing in different substrate depths on shallow green roof systems

Abstract

In an effort to increase the accessibility and functionality of shallow green roof systems, the ability of warm-season grasses to provide acceptable growth needs to be further investigated. In the current study, which was conducted during 2011 and 2012, three warm-season grasses (hybrid bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. x C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy ‘MiniVerde’; seashore paspalum, Paspalum vaginatum Swartz ‘Platinum TE’ and zoysiagrass, Zoysia japonica Steud. ‘Zenith’) were established in outdoor lysimeters. The lysimeters were equipped with all necessary green roof layers placed below a coarse-textured substrate that comprised pumice, thermally treated attapulgite clay, peat, compost and zeolite. Half of the lysimeters had a substrate depth of 15cm, while the other half had a substrate depth of 7.5cm. Irrigation was applied at crop evapotranspiration (ETc). Measurements included determination of substrate moisture content, green turf cover (GTC) and leaf stomatal resistance. Significant differences were observed in the values of GTC among the three turfgrass species and the two substrate depths. Zoysiagrass exhibited the best adaptation at the lower depths of shallow green roof systems. At 15cm substrate depth, zoysiagrass managed to sustain green coverage for the two study periods. In addition, it was the only turfgrass species that managed to perform well at the substrate depth of 7.5cm. Seashore paspalum exhibited limited green cover at both substrate depths, while hybrid bermudagrass could provide acceptable green coverage only at 15cm substrate depth.