Salinity Effects on Bentgrass Germination

Abstract

Duplicate studies were conducted to determine salt tolerance during germination of eight bentgrass (Agrostis spp.) cultivars commonly used for overseeding warm-season turf species, such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) putting surfaces. Bentgrass seeds were germinated on agar salinized with 0, 4000, 8000, 12,000, or 16,000 mg·liter-1, with the highest rate approaching one-half seawater salinity. Total germination decreased linearly or quadratically for specific cultivars as salinity increased. Time necessary to reach 50% germination across all salt concentrations was shortest for `Highland' colonial (Agrostis tenuis Sibth) and `Seaside' creeping (A. palustris Huds.) bentgrass (≈3.7 days); intermediate for `Kingstown' velvet (A. canina L.) and `Streaker' red top (A. alba L.) bentgrass (≈4.5 days); and longest for `Penneagle' creeping, `Penncross' creeping, `Exeter' colonial, and `Pennlinks' creeping bentgrass (≈5.3 days). Salt concentrations necessary to reduce germination to 90%, 75%, and 50% indicated that `Streaker' red top and `Seaside' creeping bentgrass were the most salt-tolerant cultivars. `Kingstown' velvet, `Exeter' colonial, and `Highland' colonial bentgrass were intermediate, while `Pennlinks', `Penncross', and `Penneagle' creeping bentgrass were the most salt-sensitive cultivars.