What are your key performance criteria when choosing a blend of perennial ryegrasses?
Shade Tent
with faster spring recovery. Perennial ryegrass as a monoculture succumbed more to leaf spot than other species in the trial, for example tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa), resulting in a thinning sward which is much more susceptible to Poa annua invasion. The introduction of artificial lighting systems has also been seen to support growth in these difficult conditions, and by selecting species which can better perform naturally in shade there is the potential to reduce the cost of operating these systems.
OPEN FIELD PITCHES
THE main barriers to achieving successful results when overseeding open field pitches are compaction, the unavailability of overseeding equipment to sow the seed at the optimum depth, too short (or a non-existent) establishment window and either too much or too little natural precipitation. As most heavy duty sports pitch renovation is carried out in May or June, the soil temperatures are usually sufficient for very successful germination of perennial ryegrasses and red fescues, provided there is sufficient water available to the plant and the seed is sown at the correct depth.
Because of excellent wear tolerance and short establishment windows, the most commonly used renovation mixture is 100 per cent perennial ryegrass. The main problems with this choice are a resulting open sward and a higher risk of disease. Although ryegrass looks dense at the sward surface, it can be very open at the base of the sward - even cultivars with higher shoot density. This could mean potential instability at the surface (increased divots and scars) and it could also provide an opportunity for poa annua and other weed ingression. Monocultures are generally
more susceptible to disease, which will cause still more rapid thinning of the sward. The low input
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Tall fescue rooting capability. Shows tall fescue on the right and perennial ryegrass on the left
regimes typically associated with many open field pitches (particularly local authorities because of budgetary constraints) means the grass is continuously under stress. WHAT are your key performance criteria when choosing a blend of
perennial ryegrasses? If you can apply little or no fertiliser, consider ryegrasses which can perform with lower nutrient inputs. If recovery after wear is one of your key characteristic requirements, there are cultivars of perennial ryegrass available (such as Romance) which offer improved shoot recovery and therefore sward density. Some mixtures are formulated to include other species such as red fescues to give a base to the sward and improve overall drought tolerance and disease resistance. These can be successfully used where a little more establishment time is possible. Perennial ryegrasses and red fescues can co-habit in a low nutrient input sward, provided the initial formulation of the mixture does not permit the aggressive ryegrass to completely out-compete the fescue. Cultivar selection for this type of mixture is extremely important, for example, you
may choose a less aggressive ryegrass to allow the fescue opportunity to establish. Smooth-stalked meadowgrass offers
excellent recovery through the ability to produce rhizomes, but both recovery and establishment can be notoriously slow. If you have the opportunity to sow a new construction with a mixture containing smooth-stalked meadowgrass, again, consider your key characteristic requirements. Also remember the sowing depth influence; if the small seed of smooth-stalked meadowgrass is sown too deeply in a mixture with the larger seed of the more aggressive perennial ryegrass, the chances are that only the ryegrass will successfully germinate and establish. Cultivars exhibit big differences in performance not only in speed of establishment but also in the ability to germinate at cooler soil temperatures. The graph (Fig 3) shows Bartender, a new smooth-stalked meadowgrass which germinates at cooler soil temperatures. If there is an adequate renovation window, don’t discount tall fescue in this situation for its excellent rooting depth capability and root mass (stabilisation of goalmouths) and lower nutrient input performance (Fig 4). Its ability to produce such an extensive root system gives it great drought tolerance.
ALTHOUGH, for many reasons, perennial ryegrass is still the number one choice, if you have an adequate renovation window, a specific site or maintenance constraint, or are able to use custom grown turf, consider other species. There is almost certainly something there to help you. Whichever species you choose, always consider mixture formulation (species percentages and cultivar characteristics), sowing depths, available establishment window, soil sowing temperatures, mowing heights and frequencies, nutritional inputs, environmental conditions (soil type, precipitation), compaction relief, susceptibility to disease and, of course, wear. All affect the subsequent composition and potential performance of the established sward.
If you would like further information please contact Barenbrug at Rougham Industrial Estate, Rougham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 9ND. Telephone: 01359 272000 Fax: 01359 272001 email:
info@baruk.co.uk website:
www.barenbrug.co.uk
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