ISHS Acta Horticulturae 661: I International Conference on Turfgrass Management and Science for Sports Fields
INFLUENCE OF TWO IRRIGATION REGIMES ON THE GROWTH RATE AND AESTHETIC PARAMETERS OF DIFFERENT TALL FESCUE AND PERENNIAL RYEGRASS CULTIVARS IN SOUTHERN ITALY |
| Author: | V. Marchione |
| Keywords: | drought stress, environmental adaptation, aesthetic general appearance, colour index, ground cover percentage |
| Abstract:
Research was conducted in summer 2000 in a location (Valenzano- Bari) in Apulia (Southern Italy) to assess the influence of two different irrigation regimes, R1 (80% of Potential Water Deficit, PWD) and R2 (40% of PWD) on growth and some aesthetic parameters (aesthetic general appearance, AGA; colour index and ground cover percentage) of different cultivars of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The extremely dry climate pattern (-102 mm less compared to the plurennial means) observed during the trial period (June-September) has greatly influenced all tested parameters; in particular the quality-related features have shown a constant reduction from June to August, when the lowest values were observed both for tall fescue (AGA= 4.0, Colour index= 3.3) and for perennial ryegrass (AGA = 2.4, colour index = 2.2). The two compared irrigation regimes, R1 and R2, have revealed highly significant differences both for single months and as means for the whole period; the mean values observed for the entire period for tall fescue were 5.5 (AGA) and 5.4 (colour index) with the irrigation regime R1 and 4.4 (AGA) and 4.1 (colour index) with the low regime (R2). Perennial ryegrass cultivars showed, on average, the lowest AGA values in August with 3.2 (R1) and 1.6 (R2), respectively. Among the tested cultivars within the same species, the ones, which emerged for the aesthetic parameters, were ‘Barbizon’ and ‘Barcredo’, respectively for tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. | |
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