Choosing the right grass

Discusses the grasses that will produce the optimum playing conditions with a minimum of inputs. Presented in Beijing and Bangkok at The R&A Seminar on Sustainable Golf Course Design, Renovation, and Maintenance in Asia

Transcript

1. Choosing the right grass Micah Woods Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center www.asianturfgrass.com The R&A Seminar on Sustainable Golf Course Design, Renovation, and Maintenance in Asia March 2016
2. What grass gives optimum conditions with a minimum of inputs? fine fescue Scotland
3. It depends on location • Cool-season grass: mean annual temperature < 14° • Warm-season grass: mean annual temperature > 20° • Transition zone: mean annual temperature from 14 to 20°. Warm- season or cool-season grasses can grow. Warm-season usually have lower inputs.
5. First planted to cool-season grass creeping bentgrass Shanghai, 1999
6. Later changed to warm-season grass paspalum/ryegrass Shanghai, 2014
7. If cool-season grasses are used . • The species likely to give the best conditions with the lowest inputs in East Asia are creeping bentgrass (for tee, fairway, green) and tall fescue or fine fescue in higher cut areas.
8. It also depends on water • What is the irrigation requirement? • [ET minus effective precipitation] adjusted for irrigated area, DU, and water source • What is the quantity of water available? • What is the quality of the water available?
10. Wiecko, 2000 Bermudagrass does not perform well as a managed turfgrass in East and Southeast Asia.
11. manilagrass fairway Philippines This used to be a bermudagrass fairway. Not anymore. The transition happened naturally.
13. Removing bermudagrass from seashore paspalum Hanoi
14. We grew 419 bermudagrass, Salam seashore paspalum, & manilagrass Zoysia matrella Thailand
15. These are the grasses during the fourth week of the experiment in December 2013. simulated fairway turf Thailand
16. Zoysia matrella was 22% more efficient in water use and 25% more efficient in N use. It does not require as much water or nitrogen to produce a dense sward. measuring water use Thailand
19. Kawana: no sprinkler system, zoysia tees, fairways, greens, rough. Z. matrella & Z. japonica Japan
20. Royal Hua Hin: native grasses, excellent ground contours and playing condition mix of native grasses Thailand
21. Native grass at Royal Hua Hin mix of native grasses Thailand
22. Tree shade is pleasant on a tropical golf course; what other grass is so versatile? tropical carpetgrass Thailand
23. Tolerant of heat, sun, shade, few diseases or insect or weed problems tropical carpetgrass Singapore
24. Zoysia matrella in sun, tropical carpetgrass in shade Zoysia matrella & carpetgrass Singapore
25. Excellent playing conditions with minimal inputs Zoysia & carpetgrass Hong Kong