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Crop Coefficients, Growth Rates and Quality of Cool‐Season Turfgrasses
Author(s) -
Aamlid T. S.,
Knox J. W.,
Riley H.,
Kvalbein A.,
Pettersen T.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/jac.12130
Subject(s) - irrigation , poa pratensis , festuca rubra , crop , agronomy , agrostis stolonifera , biology , horticulture , zoology , poaceae
Determination of crop coefficients ( K c), the ratio between actual ( ET a ) and reference evapotranspiration ( ET 0 ), is necessary to schedule irrigation. Our objective was to determine K c, turf quality and growth rate under daily irrigation to field capacity ( FC = −3 kPa tension) and drying. Minilysimeters installed in a green (mowing height 3–5 mm) and fairway (15 mm) were weighed during four periods of 4–10 days duration in 2009 and 2010. Crop coefficients on the second and subsequent days after irrigation were not significantly different among species and averaged 0.81 and 0.91 on green and fairway, respectively. On the first day after irrigation, the K c varied from 1.67 to 2.85 and decreased in the order A grostis capillaris > F estuca rubra ssp. litoralis > F . rubra ssp. commutata > A . stolonifera > A . canina on the green, and F . rubra ssp. litoralis > L olium perenne > F .rubra ssp. rubra > P oa pratensis > F . rubra ssp. commutata on the fairway. Drying reduced the average daily height growth from 0.98 to 0.74 mm on the green and 1.97–1.72 mm on the fairway. Scores for turf quality were reduced but remained acceptable. Although the K c during the first day after irrigation to FC may be overestimated due to latent soil heat and a possible oasis effect, we conclude that irrigation to FC should be avoided as it causes excessive water use.