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| DOI: | 10.21273/HORTSCI.46.10.1404 |
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| Publication Type:
| Refereed |
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| Author(s): | Brown, Rebecca Nelson;
Gorres, Josef |
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| Author Affiliation: | Brown: Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; Gorres: Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT |
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| Title: | The use of soil amendments to improve survival of roadside grasses |
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| Section: | Turf management
Other records with the "Turf management" Section
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| Source: | HortScience. Vol. 46, No. 10, October 2011, p. 1404-1410. |
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| Publishing Information: | Alexandria, VA: American Society for Horticultural Science |
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| # of Pages: | 7 |
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| Keywords: | TIC Keywords: Aesthetic values; Agrostis idahoensis; Composts; Cultivar evaluation; Deschampsia caespitosa; Erosion control; Establishment; Festuca arundinacea; Festuca rubra; Growth factors; Lolium perenne; Organic amendments; Percent living ground cover; Perennial grasses; Poa pratensis; Puccinellia distans; Runoff control; Salt tolerance; Sewage sludge; Vertical growth
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| Abstract/Contents: | "Highway rights-of-way are routinely planted with turfgrasses to prevent erosion, filter runoff, and improve aesthetics. However, the roadside is a harsh environment, and perennial grasses often die within the first year, leading to bare ground and annual weeds, which do not prevent erosion during the winter. To improve the survival of perennial vegetation on the roadside, it is necessary to identify the factors limiting vegetation growth and then to either identify plants that can tolerate those factors or identify ways to ameliorate the stresses while still maintaining safety. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of improved cultivars, salt tolerance, and organic matter amendments on perennial grass survival along two highways in Rhode Island. The amendments tested were processed biosolids and composted yard waste, each applied in a 50:50 mixture by volume with existing roadside soil; plain soil was included as a control. We tested 20 improved turfgrass cultivars and one seed mixture with common creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) as the standard. Turfgrass species tested were perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), red fescue, alkali grass [Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl.], idaho bentgrass (Agrostis idahoensis Nash), tufted hairgrass [Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv.], and kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). We found that soil amendment was more effective than either improved genetics or salt tolerance. Establishment, vertical growth, and persistence of vegetation cover were significantly improved by amendment with organic matter, particularly biosolids. In Summer 2009 (the second growing season), turf cover exceeded 50% in the biosolids plots but was below 20% in the plain soil plots with complete loss of cover in the plain soil plots at one location. Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, red fescue, and idaho bentgrass showed the best persistence at the species level, and there were no consistent differences among cultivars." |
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| Language: | English |
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| References: | 50 |
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| See Also: | Other items relating to: Salinity Management For Cool Season Grasses
Other items relating to: Soil Salinity |
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| Note: | Tables
Graphs |
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| ASA/CSSA/SSSA Citation (Crop Science-Like - may be incomplete):
Brown, R. N., and J. Gorres. 2011. The use of soil amendments to improve survival of roadside grasses. HortScience. 46(10):p. 1404-1410. |
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| DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.46.10.1404 |
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MSU catalog number: b2217685a |
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