Turfgrass species are often ranked according to their wear resistance from high to low: tall fescue > perennial rye > Kentucky bluegrass > fine fescue > creeping bentgrass > colonial bentgrass > rough bluegrass. However recuperative capacity from high to low may rank: creeping bentgrass > Kentucky bluegrass > rough bluegrass > tall fescue > perennial rye > fine fescue>colonial bentgrass (Turgeon, 2002).

In practice however athletic fields are a system of management techniques and reestablishment by seeding or sodding. Instead of evaluating the rate at which an established species declines or recovers during traffic, we are interested in evaluating how the whole grass system, seeding included, responds to traffic. Basically, what is the net performance of a species when continual attempts at reseeding are considered.

To study the interaction between overseeding and traffic stress on established species.

The study was conducted at the Horticulture Research Farm in Ames Iowa. Seeded in September of 2000 this study consisted in establishing 6 different species before the end of the spring. After species were succesfully established, they received traffic stress with a GA-SWC Traffic simulator (Carrow et al., 2001). Each species received two different regimes of traffic, 2 and 4 passes 3 days per week. The trial followed a complete randomized block design for a total of 12 treatments and 4 replications. Each small plot has 2 ft x 15 ft. Traffic simulation started on 20 April and ended 15 May. Plots were reseeded after this traffic period. Traffic reinitiated 2 weeks later, stopped on 15 June and were reseeded again. Percent turf cover and turf color were evaluated on 28 June 2001.

Table 1. Treatment description and seed rate

The preliminary data of 2001 appear in table 2. The study will be continued and a final report will be made in 2002.

Table 2. Percent turf cover and turf color measured on 28 June 2001 after repeated traffic.

*Color ratings based on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the most desirable green and 6 the least acceptable; 1 is completely discolorated grass