Turf type Tall Fescue Variety Performance for Golf Roughs ...

1 Turf type tall Fescue Variety Performance for golf Roughs or Lawns Researchers: Chicago District golf Assoc. Derek Settle, Tim Sibicky, Nick DeVries Goal: Evaluate tall Fescue Variety Performance under conditions favorable for brown patch. Location: lawn with southeast exposure and limited wind movement adjacent to golf House building Lemont, Illinois Background: tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is an underused shade and drought tolerant cool season turfgrass in Chicago. Today, tall Fescue is beginning to gain popularity amongst Chicago golf course superintendents. Previously tall Fescue use was limited in Chicago due to concerns regarding winter hardiness, potential for ice injury, and disease resistance. These perceptions led many to believe this grass wouldn t tolerate cold winters and that it was still for the cows with a coarseness in leaf texture that should be left for the pasture. Today, it is quite the contrary and through many years of breeding, vast improvements have been made for the specific use of turf type tall fescues in home lawns and golf course Roughs alike.

2 As superintendents look to reduce maintenance inputs, it is an excellent candidate for high stress areas, like steep banks around bunkers or other high wear traffic areas. Additionally, tall Fescue has a place in inner rough areas that present both shade and drought stress. tall Fescue also has good genetic resistance to many turfgrass diseases such as dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa). However, it is susceptible to one of the greatest summertime concerns, a disease called brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani), and so Variety trials remain important. Brief Material and Methods: A total of 58 varieties were seeded in 4 ft. x 4 ft. plots on 22 May, 2009. The study is a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. The trial s proximity near a building reduces air movement and was selected to favor disease development. Hand seeding took place at a rate of 8 lbs per 1000 ft2. Plots were managed at a height of inches and irrigated as needed.

3 In 2011, monthly data included; green up, visual quality (1 9 scale with 9=best and 6= acceptable), and brown patch percent. Table 1. Commercial tall Fescue varieties tested for lawn /rough use in Lemont, IL. Entry number Variety name Commercial sourceEntry numberVariety nameCommercial source1 Jamboree DLF 30 Shenandoah EliteProSeeds Marketing2 Banshee DLF 31 Shenandoah IIIProSeeds Marketing3 Essential DLF 32 Finelawn ExpressProSeeds Marketing4 Aggressor DLF 33 Falcon IVProSeeds Marketing5 Rocket DLF 34 AST7001 Allied Seed 6 Fat Cat DLF 35 AST7002 Allied Seed 7 Talladega Columbia Seeds36 AST7003 Allied Seed 8 Darlington Columbia Seeds37 AST1 Allied Seed 9 Toccoa Columbia Seeds38 AST2 Allied Seed 10 Tahoe II Columbia Seeds39 AST3 Allied Seed 11 Lexington Columbia Seeds40 AST4 Allied Seed 12 Sitka Columbia Seeds41 Arid 3 Jacklin Seed 13 PST 5 FDR Pure Seed Testing42 QuestJacklin Seed 14 PST 5 BGR Pure Seed Testing43 Jaguar 3 Jacklin Seed 15 PST 5 SXR Pure Seed Testing44 InfernoJacklin Seed 16 PST 5 JAG Pure Seed Testing45 Jaguar 4 GJacklin Seed 17 Dynamic II PST/Scotts/Turf Seed46SR 8600 Seed Research/Pickseed18 Gazelle II

4 PST/Scotts/Turf Seed47SR 8650 Seed Research/Pickseed19 Endeavor II PST/Scotts/Turf Seed48 SpeedwaySeed Research/Pickseed20 Tar Heel II PST/Scotts/Turf Seed49 BlackwatchSeed Research/Pickseed21 Coronado TDH PST/Scotts/Turf Seed50 Guardian 21 Seed Research/Pickseed22 Matador GT PST/Scotts/Turf Seed51SR 8550 Seed Research/Pickseed23 Innovator PST/Scotts/Turf Seed52 Grande IISeed Research/Pickseed24 Wolfpack II PST/Scotts/Turf Seed53 Regiment IISeed Research/Pickseed25 3rd Millinium Turf Merchants54 Tulsa TimeSeed Research/Pickseed26 Traverse SRP Turf Merchants55 SoutheastUniversity of Georgia27 Firenza Turf Merchants56 Bulldog 51 University of Georgia28 Rhambler SRP Turf Merchants57 SIU 5 Southern IL University29 Falcon V ProSeeds Marketing58K 31 Figure 5 JAGperformetexture astandardtoleranceCourse, L aababc13151719212325272931 EssentialTulsa TimeShenandoahElite Visual QuaG, Inferno, ers had goodand lime gred pasture tye. SIU 5 did Lemont, IL inabca da ea fa ga ga ga gShenandoah EliteGazelle IIPST 5 JAGI nfernoAggressorLexingtonPST 5 FDRAST70022lity.

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7 Those thescue varietd hd hd he he he he hehPST 5 FDRSR 8550 JamboreeToccoaPST 5 BGRS peedwayLexington3rdMilleniumch (%) hat tended tty trial, Sune hfghfghfghfghghghhh3rd MilleniumCoronado TDHI nfernoTahoe IIAST7003 AST1 EssentialPST 5 SXR to be shine hhhGazelle IIAST4 Dynamic II Image 1. In early July the main stress that impacted tall Fescue varieties was drought. Sunshine Course, Lemont, IL. Settle 7 8 11 Image 2. Compared to newer turf types, varieties like K 31 represent visually objectionable older types of course texture and lime green color. Sunshine Course, Lemont, IL. Settle 8 17 11 Image 3. In September signs of brown patch development, such as lesions on leaf blades of tall Fescue plants, could be found. Sunshine Course, Lemont, IL. Settle 9 1 11