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Turf strength and root characteristics of ten turfgrass cultivars
Author(s) -
ROSS S. J.,
ENNOS A. R.,
FITTER A. H.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1991.tb05644.x
Subject(s) - cultivar , biology , tearing , festuca rubra , festuca , root system , agrostis , agronomy , altitude (triangle) , lolium perenne , poaceae , horticulture , mathematics , materials science , composite material , geometry
SUMMARY Ten turfgrass cultivars were grown, singly and in mixtures, in glasshouse culture, to create standard sods. The tearing strength of the sods was measured using an Instron Universal Testing Instrument. Two Poa cultivars were found to be the strongest, followed in order of decreasing strength by three Festuca cultivars, three Lolium cultivars and two Agrostis cultivars. The relationship between the values obtained and shear strength of the sod root mass was investigated with a view to using this latter measurement as an indicator of tearing strength. No correlation between the two was found. Various characteristics of the root mass of individual plants were examined in an attempt to account for differences in turf strength: root system architecture (magnitude, altitude, pathlength and link numbers and lengths), root numbers at different soil depths and root mass. Sod tearing strength was found to be very strongly inversely related to the interior link length and mass of roots. The use of these as indices of strength is discussed.