Management of ultradwarf bermudagrass greens: what to expect, & what to watch out for

Slides for my presentation on this topic at the 2015 Japan Turf Show. In the presentation, I discussed the framework for growth and what management of the turf is required in the Tokyo climate to produce high performance putting surfaces.

Transcript

1. Management of ultradwarf bermudagrass greens: what to expect, & what to watch out for Micah Woods Chief Scientist Asian Turfgrass Center www.asianturfgrass.com 22 October 2015
2. Management is similar to bent, but easier ▶ ultradwarf thrives in hot weather with full sunshine ▶ when bentgrass is dying in the summer, ultradwarf is at its best ▶ fungal diseases must be prevented on ultradwarf during the rainy season and in autumn ▶ when grown in a shaded environment, the mowing height should be increased, the N rate reduced, and the use of growth regulators continued ▶ the green speed and green firmness of ultradwarf may be superior to bentgrass
3. Champion, Saitama, July 2015
4. Champion, Yamaguchi, September, 3 months aer planting
5. The same principles apply to all grasses “If turfgrass growth were a recipe, these are the ingredients:” Handout link
6. 0 10 20 30 Jan 2014 Apr 2014 Jul 2014 Oct 2014 Jan 2015 Mean daily temperature, ℃ Tokyo 2014
7. 0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 Jan 2014 Apr 2014 Jul 2014 Oct 2014 Jan 2015 C4 growth potential (GP) Tokyo 2014
8. 0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 Jan 2015 Apr 2015 Jul 2015 Oct 2015 Jan 2016 C4 growth potential (GP) Tokyo 2015
9. Khao Yai, Thailand
10. Kolkata, pythium or leaf spot, December
11. Pythium or leaf spot, Saitama, July
12. 91 36 87 0 5 10 15 20 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Daily light integral (DLI) count DLI at Tokyo from 1 Apr to 31 Oct 2014
13. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Daily light integral (DLI), mol m-2 d-1 Tokyo 2014
14. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Daily light integral (DLI), mol m-2 d-1 Tokyo 2014
15. 10 20 30 40 50 60 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Daily light integral (DLI), mol m-2 d-1 Tokyo 2015
16. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jan 2014 Apr 2014 Jul 2014 Oct 2014 Jan 2015 Reference evapotranspiration (ETo ), mm Tokyo 2014
17. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jan 2015 Apr 2015 Jul 2015 Oct 2015 Jan 2016 Reference evapotranspiration (ETo ), mm Tokyo 2015
18. central Japan
19. central Japan
20. Florida
21. 10 cm profile, Chiba
22. Bangkok
23. 0 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Month Estimated use, g m-2 mo-1 K N Tokyo 2014
24. 0 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Month Estimated use, g m-2 mo-1 K N Tokyo 2014
25. Topdressing in Thailand, November
26. Singapore, October, with green speed > 12 feet
27. Summary of data I’ve collected from 87 bermuda greens and 108 bent greens ▶ The median green speed is 9.0 feet for bermuda (old types and ultradwar) and 8.7 feet for bent. ▶ For ultradwarf bermudagrass only, the speed is expected to be even faster. ▶ The firmness of the greens is similar, with a median Clegg reading of 87 gravities for bermuda and 86 gravities for bent.