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Field Apparatus for Testing Allelopathy of Annual Bluegrass on Creeping Bentgrass
Author(s) -
Brede A. D.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1991.0011183x003100050061x
Subject(s) - agrostis stolonifera , agrostis , poa annua , allelopathy , biology , agronomy , irrigation , poa pratensis , weed , weed control , poaceae , germination
Golf‐course superintendents have long observed the competitive nature of annual bluegrass ( Poa annua L.) as a weed on creeping bentgrass [ Agrostis stolonifera L. var. palustris (Huds.) Farw.] putting greens. Allelopathy has been suggested as a contributing factor in this competitiveness. This study tested the allelopathy hypothesis under putting‐green conditions using a modified field approach of the conventional stair‐step experimental procedure. Annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass sand putting greens, each 297 m 2 , were established, and leachate from these greens was used to irrigate replicated sand‐based creeping bentgrass test greens. Moisture sensing and irrigation of the test plots were under continuous electronic control. The leachate sampling and delivery system functioned flawlessly throughout the 2‐yr period, in spite of weather extremes (>40 °C). After two growing seasons of monthly monitoring, no consistent effects on turf color, foliar ground cover, shoot density, or disease incidence were found in the test green to indicate allelopathy.