Thursday, 10 November 2005 - 8:00 AM
313-3

Establishment Methods for Seeded Seashore Paspalum.

Paul Raymer, Wook Kim, and Zhenbang Chen. Univ. of Georgia, Univ. Of GA-Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797

Seashore paspalum, Paspalum vaginatum O. Swartz, is warm-season grass that has gained popularity for use as a recreational turf on salt affected sites. The first seeded cultivar of seashore paspalum was introduced in 2005.  Although establishment protocols are widely available for vegetatively propagated cultivars, establishment protocols for seeded cultivars are largely unknown.   Field experiments were conducted at Griffin, Georgia during 2004 and 2005 to determine proper seeding rates and establishment methods for seeded seashore paspalum. Experiments were conducted at two planting dates in each of the two years.  Seeding rates evaluated ranged from 6.25 to 100 kg ha-1 and included bare soil and plastic covered treatments.  All establishment methods were tested at a seeding rate of 50 kg ha-1 and included bare soil, seed mat, plastic cover, and seed mat with plastic cover.  Soil temperature at seeding depth was monitored for each treatment using data loggers equipped with thermocouples. Seedling counts were made 2 wk post planting and percent cover at 4 wk post planting.  Seeding rates of 50 and 100 kg ha-1 provided adequate seedling establishment to achieve acceptable cover.  The use of a perforated plastic cover greatly improved seedling establishment and vegetative cover especially in early plantings when soil temperatures were low.  The best establishment method was the use of a seeded mat with a plastic cover.


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