Perennial Ryegrasses for Turf

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Use of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) has increased in Kansas in the past few years.Until the early 1970's the available perennial ryegrass cultivars were not well adapted for fine turf.Turfgrass breeders have now developed cultivars with improved shoot density, mowing ease, finer leaf texture, slower shoot growth rate, and tolerances to heat, cold, and drought stresses.
Currently improved cultivars of perennial ryegrasses are recommended for these fine turf uses: quick cover when the turf is lost from an injury; periodic overseeding of athletic fields and golf course tees during the playing season so long as the ryegrass is not the dominant species; and in seed mixtures with Kentucky bluegrass to promote rapid establishment.If the perennial ryegrass is for temporary cover only, then nonturf types may be used .
Perennial ryegrasses are not recommended for use alone, because, when injured, they have poor recuperative potential.Also, they commonly deteriorate from brown patch, Pythium, Helminthosporium leaf spot, snow molds, high temperature, and drought injuries.
. ,I Cultivars we re evaluated at two Ka nsas sites: the Horticulture Research Center in W ichit a (USDA ha rdiness zone 6 with a fine sandy loam soil pH 6.5-6.8), and the Rocky Fo rd Researc h Area a t Ma nhatta n (zone 5 w ith a silty c lay loam of p H 7.1-7.4).
Wichita tria/1 973 to 1978.Six c ul tiva rs were e va luated unde r medium to high m a inte na nce.Fertilization was 4.0 lbs N/1000 sq ft pe r year.Clippings were returned afte r mowing at 2.5 in c hes, and irrigation was to prevent excessive drought stress.Pe nnturf had t he best q ual ity, but none o f the six c ultivars c o nsis te ntly exhi b ited an a cceptable v isua l q uality of 6.5 expected of a hig h m ainte na nce turf (Table 1 ).Q uality ratings of all ryegrasses were substantiall y reduced by the hot, dry 1 978 growing conditions .a v isual q uality ra ti ng: 9 = ideal turf, 6.5 = acceptable. 1= no live turf.
Based on density, colo r, uniform ity.bModera te to severe disease infection was o bserved for the diseases liste d.DS = dollar spot, L = leaf spot.R = stem rust.
Manhattan tria/1 971 to 1976.In 1971 nine cultivars were esta bli shed under a mo wing height of 2.0 inches with c lippings returned .Nitroge n was a p plied at 3.0 lbs N/1000 sq ft per year a nd excess ive st ress wa s avoide d by irrigat ion.
year with irrigation as needed t o avoid excessive stress.Cutting heights were 1.0 inch (for gol f course lees, athletic fields) and 2.0 inches (for home fawns) with dippings returned.At the 1.0-inc h mowing height, performance was o utstanding for Citation and Diplomat.D erby, •Yorktown, Manhattan, and Pennfine did very well (Table 3).When maintained at 2.0 inches, Citat ion, Derby, Diplomat, and Yorktown were outstanding (Table 4).Manhattan and Pennfine exhibited very good quality.
Only brown patch (Rhizoctonia so/ani) and leaf spot (Helminthosporium spp.) caused serious disease problems.To lbert and Wendy had t he greatest brown patc h infection (Table 5).All cultivars except Derby and Regal exhibited at least moderate leaf spot infection.Most susceptible were Pennfin e and K0-12.
Mowing quality is of particular concern for perennial ryegrasses.The tough, fibrous veins often result in a ragged c ut that reduces the stand's vi- sual quality.These cultivars had good mowing qualities: Regal, Diplomat, Manhattan, Yorktown, K0-15, Epic(Table 5).

Table 1 .
Vis ua l q ual ity a nd disease ra t ings fo r perennial ryegrass va riet ies, Wich ita, 1 973 to 1 978.

Table 2 .
This publication from Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service has been archived.Current information: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu.Visual quality ratings and spring greenup for perennial ryegrass varieties.Manhattan, 1971 t o 1976.