Germination Characteristics of Main Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) Cultivars Used in Korean Golf Course Greens

Sang-Ryul Shim^1,*

¹Department of Landscape Architecture, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28503, Korea

Abstract

Germination characteristics were evaluated under main creeping bentgrass (Agrotis stolonifera L.) cultivars used in Korean golf course greens. Tested eight cultivars of creeping bentgrass (CB) were ‘Penncross’, ‘T-1’, ‘Penn A-1’, ‘Penn A-4’, ‘Shark’, ‘Declaration’, ‘PureDistinction’ and ‘Pure Select’. CB germination experiment was conducted on alternative condition of 8-hours light at 25℃ and 16-hours dark at 15℃ required by International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). Daily and cumulative germination patterns were measured on a daily basis during 30 days and analyzed by ANOVA. Significant differences among 8 CB cultivars were observed in the first and final germination rates, required days of the 85% germination and cumulative germination rates for 10 days after seeding. The first germination of tested all varieties was simultaneously germinated in 6 days after seeding. The first and final germination were in 9.3-40% and 82-96.7%, respectively and the germination of 10 days after seeding was in 69.7-89.7% by varieties. It taken 8.9-22.0 days for tested 8 varieties to reach required days of the 85% germination rate. As a result of examining the first germination rates, the final germination rates, the germination rates of 10 days after seeding, and required days of the 85% germination under ISTA condition, Penncross, Shark, Penn A-4 and Penn A-1 among tested varieties were classified as very high germination varieties. And then Declaration and Pure Distinction were classified the high and medium germination varieties, respectively. Next, Pure Select and T-1 were classified as slow and very slow germination varieties, respectively.

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1.Daily (A) and cumulative (B) germination rate (%) for 30 days after seeding in 8 varieties of creeping bentgrass grown under alternative conditions of 8-hr light at 25℃ and 16-hr dark at 15℃ (International Seed Testing Association condition). X axis: Days after seeding; Y axis: Germination rate (%).