Search

The article discusses research on U.S. and Canadian consumer preferences for turfgrass, noting possible market segmentation. Topics include the views of consumers regarding maintenance attributes, the opportunity for greater production of low-input species by the turfgrass seed industry, and generational differences among turfgrass consumers.

As restrictions on water use, fertilization, and pesticide applications continue to increase, golf course superintendents will need to use grass species that require reduced inputs. The objective of this study was to evaluate alternative turfgrass species under low-input fairways conditions. In 2005, 17 species were established on native soil in St. Paul, MN. Each species was evaluated at three levels of traffic (zero, three, or six passes per week using a drum-type traffic simulator) and two mowing heights (1.90 and 2.54 cm). Data collected included turfgrass quality and percent living stand density. In 2006, velvet bentgrass (Agrostis canina L.), colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris L.), and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) maintained acceptable quality in all treatment combinations. In 2007, Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra L. ssp.fallax) and sheep fescue (Festuca ovina L.) were the top-performing species regardless of treatment. Hard fescue (Festuca brevipila Tracey) performed poorly in Year 1 and well in Year 2. All other species did not perform at an acceptable level during the study. The results of this study indicate that sheep fescue, Chewings fescue, colonial bentgrass, and velvet bentgrass should be studied further for use on low-input golf course fairways in the northern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary limitation of tufted hairgrass [Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv.] as a turfgrass appears to be damage caused by billbug (Sphenophorus spp.) herbivory, in this study several sets of germplasm were used in volatile collection studies. Whole-plant volatile collections were made on: i) untreated plants, ii) plants that had been treated with jasmonic acid (JA), and iii) plants that had experienced mechanical damage. In untreated plants, intraspecific differences were found for the amount of hexenyl acetate that was released; this compound has been shown to be involved in important plant volatile-insect interactions. Application of JA resulted in a dramatic increase in the production of monoterpenes, which are known to attract predators of insect pests. (Z)- β-ocimene comprised nearly 9% of the total volatile profile after JA treatment, but was not detected in untreated plants. Mechanical damage of tufted hairgrass plants led to an increased release of characteristic green leaf volatiles such as 3-hexen-1-ol as well as hexenyl acetate. Mechanical damage changed the components of the volatile profile, but the results were quite different from JA treatment. It would be of interest to determine if the selection of tufted hairgrass germplasm that produces high and sustained levels of monoterpenes, in response to JA, would attract sufficient insect predators to make this an effective breeding strategy for insect resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional turfgrasses found in residential lawns provide a functional and aesthetically pleasing landscape if provided adequate resource inputs, yet, as available natural resources become more limited and public concerns grow stronger about the ecological effects of urban turfgrass management, it becomes increasingly important to pursue alternative landscape options. There are non-traditional turfgrasses that require fewer resource inputs that could be made available to homeowners. The objective of this study was to estimate consumer preferences and the relative importance of aesthetic and maintenance attributes of turfgrasses as well as identify potential market segments of the residential turfgrass market. Conjoint analysis was conducted on survey responses of 116 Minnesota homeowners. The results indicated that maintenance attributes of turfgrasses, specifically irrigation requirement, significantly affected consumer purchasing behavior. The analysis also identified four potential market segments, the Price Conscious segment, the Shade Adaptation segment, the Mowing Conscious segment, and the Water Conscious segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha) is a perennial, cool-season, native grass that has shown potential for use as a turfgrass species in the northern Great Plains; however, limited information is available on its salt tolerance, in this study, salinity tolerance of four junegrass populations from North America (Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota) and two improved turf-type cultivars from Europe ('Barleria' and 'Barkoel') was evaluated and compared with kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), perennial ryegrass (Loliumperenne), sheep rescue (Festuca ovina), hard fescue (F. brevipila), and tall fescue (F. arundinacea). Salinity tolerance was determined based on the predicted salinity level causing 50% reduction of final germination rate (PSLF) and daily germination rate (PSLD) as well as electrolyte leakage (EL), tissue dry weight (DW), and visual quality (VQ) of mature plants. All populations of prairie junegrass showed similar salt tolerance with an average of PSLF and PSLD being 7.1 and 5.3 g⋅L-1 NaCl, respectively, comparable to kentucky bluegrass and hard and sheep fescue but lower than tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. Larger variations were observed in VQ in the junegrasses compared with EL and DW, in which 'Barleria' from the European population showed the highest VQ, following two salt-tolerant grasses, tall fescue and sheep fescue. Nebraska population was the least salt-tolerant within the species but still exhibited similar or higher tolerance than kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass cv. Arctic Green. Overall, junegrass was more salt-sensitive during germination but more tolerant to salinity when mature. Salinity tolerance of junegrass may be further improved through turfgrass breeding because salinity tolerance varied in different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]