Considerable resource was invested in developing improved varieties that could withstand close mowing
The first improved seeded creeping bentgrass was developed by Burt Musser at Penn State University and released commercially in 1954 as Penncross. In the 1950s and 60s Penncross was the most desirable bentgrass to use on greens in the USA.
It was the first seeded variety to
produce a fairly uniform, vigorous putting surface. Since seeding was less expensive than ‘stolonising’, Penncross remained the favourite green turf for over forty years, even though it had a grainy texture and required relatively aggressive maintenance (routine grooming, light verticutting and topdressing) to refine the surface.
The next generation
In the late 1970s, television, golf and club members’ demand for tournament conditions (higher quality and faster greens) created a renewed interest in breeding. Penncross, that had performed so well for so many years, did not perform well with the gradual reduction in mowing height (from 4mm to 3mm). Loss of turf vigour, scalping, and
increased disease activity were some of the drawbacks noted. Considerable resource was invested in developing improved varieties that could withstand close mowing (heights of cut in the 1920s were 6.35mm and, by the 90s, 3mm), without spiking up and with improved wear, heat and disease tolerance. Dr Skogley at the University of Rhode Island collected germplasm from creeping bents in New England, Canada and the Mid Atlantic region out of which he produced (in conjunction with Seed Research Inc.) the variety Providence (SR1019). Dr Milt Engelke at Texas A&M was successful at breeding the varieties Cato and Crenshaw that are tolerant to high temperature stress but susceptible to dollar spot disease. L-93 was developed at Lofts and Rutgers from germplasm collected in the 1980s from golf courses through New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and California. Southshore was also developed from the same programme. The creeping bentgrass varieties,
released in 1995, commonly referred to as the A and G series, were developed by Joe Duich at Penn State University out of selections from Augusta, Ga., greens originally sown with Penneagle and Penncross. These are varieties that are capable of producing extremely fine, uniformly dense turf (similar in appearance to velvet bent) and suited to very close (3mm) mowing.
It is now thirteen years since the A and G series were first released and, whilst breeding new varieties is a slow and laborious process, what of the future? There are currently twenty creeping bent and six velvet bentgrasses in the 2003 NTEP trial in the USA. Some of the new varieties listed under various maintenance practices are showing promise, these include, in no particular order:
• CY-2 (Snow Brand Seed Co & Chiba- Prefecture Agr. Exp.Station)
• Declaration (Lebanon turf products
• 007 - DSB (R.H. Hurley, LLC/Seed Res. Oregon/Pickseed)
• Shark - 23R (Mountain View Seeds) • Tyee - SRX 1GD (Seed Res. Oregon)
A new NTEP trial, sown in the autumn of 2008 will provide information on the performance of these and, no doubt, newer varieties for the next five years.
New creeping bentgrass characteristics and management
Shoot and root density - A high shoot and root density is desirable for putting green turf. Fine leaves and an erect growth habit help create smooth and true surfaces on which to play. It also reduces the rolling resistance of the golf ball as it travels across the surface. The new Penn A and G series provide shoot densities 50-70% denser than Southshore
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