| Abstract/Contents: | "This study is being conducted to examine the performance of new bentgrasses for golf course greens in the warm, humid climate of Georgia. A 9,000 square foot golf green was built according to USGA specifications (98% sand, 2% silt, <1% clay) in a low area that was situated to restrict air movement in the Atlanta Athletic Club. The study had 27 bentgrass entries, and six blends of some entries were seeded in November 1993. The area is maintained following routine golf course practices. Nine entries (Crenshaw, Crenshaw + Southshore, Crenshaw + Southshore + SR1020, Dominant, Procup, Providence, Putter, Regent and SR1020) had substantially faster coverage rates than Penncrosss. The high temperatures of 1995 really separated entries. Turf quality of Penncross declined 45% that summer, while five entries (A-1, Crenshaw, Crenshaw + Cato, G-2 and G-6) declined at least 48% less that Penncross, or only 29%. Two years after establishment, the number of entries within the moderate range of soil hydrophobicity had increased from 8 to 18. This suggests that soil hydrophobicity increases with time and the rate of change is related to cultivar. A 93A5, A 93A6, A-1, Bar WS 42102 and CBL had the grestest increase in hydrophobicity from 1994 to 1995. In 1996, plots were inoculated with brown patch (Rhizoctania solant). Pennlinks, CBL, Procup, MSUEB, Penncross and 151 89140 had disease levels of more than 94%. L-93 was more resistant with only 28.5% infestation, while all other cultivars had infestations between 51% and 94%. Additional studies to be conducted this year include traffic tolerance, ball mark recovery, disease tolerance screening, increasing stress through closer mowing and /or more restricted air movement and monitoring of soil hydrophobicity. This study is partially funded by the Georgia Turfgrass Foundation Trust (GTFT)." |
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