Monday, November 13, 2006
70-19

Salinity Tolerance of 33 Greens-type Annual Bluegrass Experimental Lines.

Jing Dai, Maxim J. Schlossberg, Douglas D. Archibald, and David R. Huff. Penn State University, 116 ASI Bldg, University Park, PA 16802

Salt tolerant turfgrasses are valuable in areas suffering from saline soils and/or salt-rich irrigation water. Current knowledge suggests annual bluegrass (AB; Poa annua L.) is intolerant to salinity. Tolerance of greens-type AB to chronic salinity stress was evaluated over two separate 12-week greenhouse experiments. Plugs (11 cm i.d.) of 33 greens-type AB experimental lines were maintained at 6.4-mm mowing height and irrigated daily with modified Hoagland's solutions possessing salinity levels of 0.7 dS m-1 (control) or 8.0 dS m-1 (NaCl treatment, approaching a quarter strength sea water). Clipping yield dry weight (CYD) and leaf water content (LWC) were measured weekly. Digital images were collected at the end of weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12 for the determination of percent cover and dark green color index (DGCI). Salinity stress significantly reduced percent cover (30.8%), DGCI (9.3%), CYD (33.9%), and LWC (3.3%), compared to the control (all lines pooled). However, substantial variation in salinity tolerance among greens-type AB experimental lines exists, as significant differences in percent cover, DGCI, CYD, and LWC among lines were observed. Thus, it appears numerous greens-types AB experimental lines possess moderate-to-good salinity tolerance and are potentially suitable for use on golf courses with moderate salt problems.


Handout (.pdf format, 452.0 kb)