Regional Fine Fescue Cultivar Trial - Established 1998

Nick. E. Christians and Rodney A. St. John

This was the second year of data from the 1998 Fineleaf Fescue National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trial. It is being conducted at many locations around the U.S. The purpose of the trial is to study the regional adaptation of 79 fineleaf fescue selections. Cultivars are evaluated for quality each month of the growing season through October. The study is conducted in full sun. Three replications of the 3 x 5 ft (15 ft2) plots were established for each cultivar in October 1998. The trial has been maintained at a 2-inch mowing height, fertilized with 3.5 lbs N/1000 ft2 during the growing season, and has been irrigated when needed to prevent drought. Preemergence herbicide was applied once in the spring.

Visual quality was evaluated monthly in 1999 from May through October (Table 1). Quality was assessed using a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = best , 6 = lowest acceptable, and 1 = worst quality. The values listed under each month in Table 1 are the averages of visual quality ratings made on three replicated plots for the three studies. Yearly means of monthly data were taken and are listed in the last column. The first cultivar received the highest average rating for the entire 1999 season. The cultivars are listed in descending order of average quality.

Data for genetic color (Gcol), spring greenup (Grn), and leaf texture (Leaf) also are included for the high-maintenance, irrigated and for the low-maintenance trials. Genetic color was rated using a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = dark and 1 = light green. Spring greenup was estimated using a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = green and 1 = dormant turf. Leaf texture was assessed with a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = fine and 1 = coarse texture.

 

Table 1. The 1999 visual quality1 and other turf attribute ratings2 for cultivars in the 1998 Fineleaf Fescue Cultivar Trial.

 

Cultivar

Species3

Gcol

Grn

Leaf

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Mean

1

SRX 52961

SCF

7.0

7.3

6.7

6.0

7.0

6.7

6.3

7.7

7.0

6.8

2

ABT-CR-2

SCF

7.7

7.3

7.0

7.0

6.7

7.3

5.3

7.3

6.3

6.7

3

ABT-CR-3

SCF

8.3

7.3

7.3

7.0

7.0

6.7

6.3

6.7

6.3

6.7

4

ASR 049

SLF

7.0

5.7

7.7

6.3

6.0

6.7

6.0

7.0

8.0

6.7

5

PST-EFL

SCF

6.3

8.0

6.3

6.0

6.3

6.3

7.0

7.0

6.7

6.6

6

ISI FRR 7

SCF

7.0

7.3

7.3

6.7

5.7

6.7

6.3

6.3

7.3

6.5

7

Salsa

SCF

6.3

8.0

7.3

5.3

6.0

6.3

6.0

7.7

7.7

6.5

8

Intrigue

CF

7.3

6.7

7.7

6.7

7.0

6.0

6.3

6.7

6.0

6.4

9

Jasper II

SCF

7.0

7.0

6.7

5.7

6.0

6.7

6.3

6.7

7.3

6.4

10

Longfelow II

CF

8.0

7.0

7.7

6.3

6.7

6.3

5.0

7.3

7.0

6.4

11

Florentine

SCF

7.0

7.7

6.7

6.3

6.3

6.0

5.3

6.7

7.0

6.3

12

Shadow II

CF

7.0

6.7

7.0

6.7

7.0

6.7

4.7

6.0

6.7

6.3

13

ABT-CHW-2

CF

6.0

6.7

7.7

6.3

6.3

5.7

5.3

6.7

6.7

6.2

14

ABT-CHW-3

CF

7.3

7.0

6.7

6.3

6.0

6.7

5.3

6.0

7.0

6.2

15

BAR CHF 8 FUS2

CF

7.7

7.3

7.0

5.7

6.3

6.7

5.3

6.0

7.0

6.2

16

BAR SCF 8 FUS3

SLF

7.7

6.7

6.7

6.7

6.7

6.3

5.7

6.0

6.0

6.2

17

Culombra

CF

7.0

7.7

7.3

5.7

7.0

6.3

5.7

5.7

6.7

6.2

18

Seabreeze

SLF

5.7

7.3

7.0

5.3

5.3

5.3

5.7

7.0

8.3

6.2

19

Tiffany

CF

8.0

6.7

8.0

6.0

6.7

6.3

5.3

6.3

6.7

6.2

20

4001

HF

7.0

5.7

7.3

6.7

6.0

6.0

5.7

6.3

5.7

6.1

21

ABT-HF1

HF

6.3

6.0

7.7

6.3

5.3

6.3

6.3

6.0

6.3

6.1

22

BAR CF 8 FUS1

SCF

6.7

8.0

6.7

5.7

6.0

6.3

5.7

6.0

6.7

6.1

23

ISI FRR 5

SCF

7.0

7.3

6.0

6.0

6.0

5.3

5.7

7.0

6.3

6.1

24

PST-47TCR

SCF

7.0

7.0

7.0

6.0

5.3

6.3

6.0

6.0

6.7

6.1

25

ASC 087

SCF

6.0

7.7

6.7

5.7

5.7

6.7

5.7

6.0

6.3

6.0

26

Brittany

CF

7.7

7.0

7.7

6.0

6.0

6.0

5.3

6.0

6.7

6.0

27

Shademaster II

SCF

6.3

5.0

6.3

6.0

5.3

6.0

5.3

6.3

7.0

6.0

28

ACF 083

CF

6.3

7.7

7.0

5.7

5.3

5.3

5.3

6.0

7.7

5.9

29

AHF 009

HF

6.3

5.7

7.0

6.0

5.7

6.3

6.0

6.0

5.7

5.9

30

Ambassador

CF

7.0

6.3

7.3

6.7

5.7

6.0

5.0

6.0

6.3

5.9

31

Banner III

CF

7.0

6.3

7.0

6.7

6.7

5.7

4.7

5.3

6.3

5.9

32

Oxford

HF

7.0

6.0

7.7

6.7

6.3

7.0

5.7

4.3

5.7

5.9

33

PST-4FR

SCF

7.0

7.3

6.0

6.0

5.0

7.0

5.0

6.3

6.0

5.9

34

PST-4MB

BHF

6.0

5.3

6.3

6.0

6.0

6.3

5.3

5.7

6.0

5.9

35

ABT-CHW-1

CF

7.0

6.7

7.3

6.7

6.3

5.7

5.3

5.3

5.7

5.8

36

ABT-HF-4

HF

6.0

5.0

6.0

6.3

5.3

5.7

5.7

5.7

6.3

5.8

37

ACF 092

CF

6.7

7.3

7.0

5.0

5.3

6.0

5.0

6.3

7.0

5.8

38

Bridgeport

CF

6.7

7.0

7.7

6.3

5.7

5.3

5.0

6.0

6.3

5.8

39

DGSC 94

SCF

5.7

8.0

6.7

5.3

5.7

6.3

5.0

5.7

6.7

5.8

40

Pathfinder

SCR

6.3

8.0

6.3

5.3

6.0

5.7

5.3

6.0

6.7

5.8

41

Pick FRC 4-92

CF

7.0

7.3

7.3

6.3

6.7

5.7

4.7

5.0

6.7

5.8

42

SRX 3961

HF

7.3

5.7

8.0

6.7

6.0

6.3

5.0

6.0

5.0

5.8

43

SRX 52LAV

SCF

6.3

7.3

6.3

5.7

5.3

5.7

5.0

6.3

7.0

5.8

44

Treazure (E)

CF

6.0

7.3

8.0

6.0

6.3

5.3

5.3

6.3

5.7

5.8

45

ASC 082

SCF

6.7

7.7

6.7

6.0

5.7

5.7

5.0

6.0

6.0

5.7

46

SR 5100

CF

7.0

7.0

6.7

6.0

6.3

5.7

4.7

5.3

6.3

5.7

47

ABT-HF-3

HF

6.0

5.3

6.7

6.7

6.0

6.0

5.0

4.7

5.3

5.6

48

Bighorn

HF

6.0

5.0

6.7

6.3

5.3

5.7

6.0

5.0

5.0

5.6

49

Boreal

SCF

5.7

7.7

6.3

5.0

5.3

5.3

5.7

5.7

6.3

5.6

50

Dawson E+

SLF

6.0

6.3

7.0

5.0

5.7

6.0

5.3

5.0

6.7

5.6

51

Jamestown II

CF

6.0

7.0

6.7

5.0

5.3

5.7

5.7

6.0

5.7

5.6

52

Sandpiper

CF

6.7

7.0

7.7

5.0

5.7

5.3

5.3

6.0

6.0

5.6

53

SR 3200

BF

5.7

5.3

6.7

6.0

5.3

5.7

5.7

5.0

5.7

5.6

54

ASC 172

SCF

7.0

7.0

6.0

5.7

5.7

6.0

4.3

5.0

6.3

5.5

55

Heron

CF

6.0

5.7

7.7

6.3

5.7

5.7

5.0

5.3

5.0

5.5

56

Magic

CF

6.7

6.0

7.3

6.0

6.7

5.0

4.3

5.7

5.3

5.5

57

Nordic (E)

HF

6.7

5.7

7.0

5.0

5.7

6.3

5.7

5.3

5.0

5.5

58

Pick FRC A-93

CF

7.3

6.7

8.0

6.0

6.7

5.7

4.0

4.7

6.0

5.5

59

PST-4HM

CF

6.3

5.3

7.3

5.3

5.3

6.0

5.7

5.0

5.7

5.5

60

MB-63

CF

6.7

6.7

7.3

6.0

5.7

5.0

4.3

5.7

6.0

5.4

61

Minotaur

HF x BF

6.0

5.3

6.3

6.3

5.3

6.3

5.0

4.7

5.0

5.4

62

Scaldis

HF

6.3

5.0

7.0

6.7

5.7

6.3

5.0

4.3

4.3

5.4

63

Attila E

HF

6.7

5.7

7.3

5.7

5.7

5.3

5.3

5.0

4.7

5.3

64

BAR HF 8 FUS

HF

6.7

6.0

6.7

5.7

5.3

5.7

5.0

4.7

5.7

5.3

65

Common Creeping Red

SCF

5.7

7.0

6.7

5.0

5.7

5.3

5.0

5.0

6.0

5.3

66

Defiant

HF

6.7

6.3

7.3

5.3

5.3

6.3

4.7

4.7

5.7

5.3

67

MB-82

HF

6.7

6.7

7.0

6.3

6.0

6.3

5.0

4.0

4.3

5.3

68

AHF 008

HF

6.3

6.0

6.3

5.7

5.3

5.0

4.7

5.7

4.7

5.2

69

ISI FL 11

HF

7.3

5.3

7.0

6.0

5.3

5.0

5.0

4.7

5.0

5.2

70

Pick FF A-97

HF

6.0

5.7

7.3

5.3

5.0

6.0

4.7

5.0

5.0

5.2

71

Quatro

SF

5.7

6.0

7.3

6.0

5.3

4.7

5.3

5.0

5.0

5.2

72

Rescue 911

HF

8.0

5.3

7.0

7.0

6.3

6.0

4.3

3.7

3.7

5.2

73

Shademark

SCF

5.7

8.0

7.0

4.7

4.7

5.3

5.0

5.3

6.0

5.2

74

Discovery

HF

7.0

5.7

7.0

6.3

5.3

5.7

4.0

4.3

5.0

5.1

75

Reliant II

HF

6.7

5.3

6.0

6.0

5.3

5.3

4.0

4.7

5.3

5.1

76

ABT-HF-2

HF

7.0

5.0

7.3

6.0

5.0

5.3

5.0

4.0

4.0

4.9

77

ISI FL 12

HF

6.3

5.3

6.3

5.7

5.0

5.7

5.0

4.0

4.3

4.9

78

Osprey

HF

6.7

5.3

7.7

6.3

5.3

5.7

3.0

2.7

2.7

4.3

79

SR 6000

TH

4.7

4.3

4.7

4.7

4.3

4.0

3.7

4.0

4.0

4.1

 

LSD0.05

 

1.4

1.2

1.0

1.9

1.2

2.2

3.8

2.0

2.1

1.2

1Visual quality was assessed using a scale of 9 to 1 with 9 = best quality, 6 = lowest acceptable quality, and 1 = worst quality.

2Genetic color (Gcol) was rated using a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = dark and 1 = light green. Spring greenup (Grn) was determined using a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = green and 1 = dormant. Leaf texture (Leaf) was assessed with a 9 to 1 scale with 9 = fine and 1 = coarse texture.

3BF = blue fescue, BHF = blue hard fescue, CF = creeping fescue, HF = hard fescue, SF = sheep fescue, SLF = slender creeping fescue, SCF = strong creeping fescue, TH = tufted hairgrass.

 

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