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A Review of Warm‐Season Turfgrass Evapotranspiration, Responses to Deficit Irrigation, and Drought Resistance
Author(s) -
Colmer Timothy D.,
Barton Louise
Publication year - 2017
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/cropsci2016.10.0911
Subject(s) - evapotranspiration , irrigation , agronomy , biology , growing season , perennial plant , resistance (ecology) , irrigation scheduling , arid , drought tolerance , environmental science , ecology
Knowledge of turfgrass evapotranspiration (ET c ) and drought resistance can enable water conservation by guiding turfgrass selection for various climates and irrigation scheduling. Turfgrass ET c , crop coefficients ( K c = ET c /ET 0 , where ET 0 is reference evapotranspiration), responses to deficit irrigation, and drought resistance, are reviewed for warm‐season species (perennial, sod‐forming, C 4 grasses). In well‐watered conditions, ET c was 2.44 to 10.53 mm d −1 (nine species in six climates during late spring to early autumn) and K c was 0.34 to 1.27 (seven species in seven climates). Under deficit irrigation, ET c was 2.14 to 5.71 mm d −1 and K c was 0.52 to 0.94 (seven species in four climates). Crop evapotranspiration was greater with increasing aridity. The K c data provide benchmarks for irrigation. Field irrigation dose–response experiments show that some warm‐season turfgrasses differ in water requirements. Inter‐ and intraspecies variations in drought resistance have also been documented. Additional research is required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed variations in turfgrass ET c and drought resistance and to test the influence of management practices (e.g., cutting height, nitrogen fertilizer, and growth regulators) in field situations. Looking forward, process‐based modeling could increase understanding of turfgrass traits and other factors influencing ET c and drought resistance and further assist efficient use of water in warm‐season turfgrass systems.