The fairway height Kentucky bluegrass trial was established in September 1999 to evaluate a number of the new ‘low mow’ bluegrasses at a mowing height of 0.5 to 0.75 inches under non-irrigated conditions. The area receives 3 lbs. N/1000 ft2/year and is treated with preemergence herbicides in the spring and broadleaf weed controls in the fall. No fungicides are used on the area. Dry conditions through most of the season eliminated differences among the cultivars during 2003. April and May data are the best indication of how the cultivars performed in the spring.
The visual quality was evaluated monthly in 2003 from April through October (Table 1). The values listed under each month in Table 1 are the averages of visual quality ratings made on three replicated plots. Visual quality was based on a scale of 9 to 1: 9 = best quality, 6 = lowest acceptable quality, and 1 = worst quality. The yearly average of the monthly data for each cultivar was calculated and is listed in the last column (Mean). The first cultivar listed in Table 1 had the highest average visual quality rating for the entire 2003 season. The cultivars are listed in descending order by average quality. The last row states the LSD (least significant difference), which is a statistical measurement of how widely the datum in each column must vary before they are considered to be different from one another.
Table 1. 2003 Visual quality for cultivars in the Non-Irrigated Fairway Height Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivar Trial
| -------------------------------------Visual Quality------------------------------------- | |||||||
| Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivar | Apr | May | Jun | July | Aug | Oct | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nublue | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Absolute | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Award | 4 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Bluechip | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Bluemoon | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Kenblue | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Limosine | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Midnight | 4 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Nuglade | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Park | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Rambo | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Rugby II | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Sodgrower II Mix † | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Sure-Shot †† | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Total Eclipse | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| LSD 0.05 | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| † Includes Bluechip, Nustar, Rambo, and Rugby II †† Includes Nuglade, Bluemoon, Award, Rugby II, and Rambo |
|||||||
 |
ISU Turfgrass:2004 Turfgrass Report | College of Agriculture |
Contents ©1995-2004, ISU Horticulture Department