Based on the response of grass species to climate conditions, especially temperature, golf course grass species are divided into warm-season grass species and cool-season grass species. The optimal temperature range for the growth of cool-season grass roots (ground temperature range) is 10-18 degrees Celsius, and the optimal temperature range for stem and leaf growth (air temperature range) is 16-24 degrees Celsius; for warm-season grass, the optimal temperature range for the root system is 25-29 degrees Celsius, and the air temperature range is 27-35 degrees Celsius.
Cool-season grass: Most of the growth time of cool-season grass is concentrated in the cooler period of the year, that is, in the south in autumn, winter and spring; in the north in spring and autumn. Cool-season grasses include: bent, bluegrass, rye and fescue
Warm-season grass: The growth time of warm-season grass is concentrated in the hotter months of the year, which is late spring, summer and early autumn in the south and transition zone. Warm-season grasses include Bermuda grass, Zoysia and Seashore Paspalum. The warm-season grass in the golf course is usually interseeded with cool-season grass to keep its color in winter. Rye and some varieties of early grass are choices.
Early grass seeds: The earliest grass used in golf courses were all existing pasture grasses on the site, and the earliest grass planted in golf courses was also local pasture grass. Before the 1930s, golf courses built in the northern United States used mixed bent grass as golf course grass. The mixed bent contained 80% COLONIAL bent, 10% VELVET bent and a little CREEPING bent. In New England, VELVET bent was used for greens. These grass seeds were the mother plants for future golf course grass seed cultivation.
In 1916, several scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) established an organization called Arlington Lawn Garden, which was dedicated to evaluating and breeding suitable grass seeds for greens. In 1921, they started commercial cooperation with the USDA to formally establish the United States Golf Association (USGA) to expand research on grass seeds. They looked for grasses with excellent performance from all over the place, such as excellent leaf texture, color, density and disease resistance, and planted them in the nursery of Arlington Lawn Garden. The USGA used the letter C to number them for cultivation. In 1927, the US Department of Agriculture announced that they had invented the best green grass – creeping bent grass. Using this asexual reproduction technology, many greens are covered with green clothes, but because it is asexually cultivated, its disease and insect resistance cannot be improved.
Seeding bent grass: Scientists began to study in Pennsylvania in 1940 to try to find uniform and stable seeding bent grass. After 9 years of hard work, they cultivated a seeding bent grass called PENNCROSS, which was launched in 1954 and began to replace the previous green grass. Before the 1990s, PENNCROSS was the most popular green grass. Although new varieties have been launched, PENNCROSS is still widely used today.
Pennsylvania grass seed research is still ongoing. Under the guidance of Dr. Joe Duwick, PENNEAGLE bent was launched in 1978 and PENNLINKS bent was launched in 1986. From 1980 to 1990, the research on bent was mainly focused on how to cultivate varieties with high heat resistance to expand its adaptability. Through research in Texas by USGA, new bent varieties CATO and CRENSHAW were launched. At the same time, Pennsylvania Joe Duwick’s research focused on how to improve bent’s tolerance to low mowing. His efforts led to the launch of bent A and G series. Other grass seed companies also launched excellent varieties such as: SR1020, L-93, PROVIDENCE, BACKSPIN, IMPERIAL, etc. Other seed-bearing grasses: Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass have been extensively bred over the past 40 to 50 years, focusing on the cultivation of embryos to facilitate the selection of different patented grass seed products by different grass seed companies, including:
Warm-season grasses: Bermuda grass is suitable for tropical, subtropical and southern regions of the world; in the transitional climate zone of the United States, Zoysia is mostly used on fairways, but it is widely used in Japan, Korea and China; Buffalo grass, a native grass of the Great Plains of North America, is suitable for long grass in semi-humid, semi-arid and arid areas; Seashore Paspalum, the most salt-tolerant warm-season grass, is suitable for tropical and subtropical regions, and its improved varieties can be used as grass for terraces, greens and fairways.
Bermuda grass and its hybrids: The most widely used Bermuda grass may have been spread by early Spanish explorers. In 1924, the United States launched the Bermuda variety ATLANTA, and in 1938, U3. Later, when the great golfer Bobby Jones went to Egypt to play golf, he accidentally introduced a new Bermuda grass variety from Egypt, UGANDAGRASS. Before 1950, there were only these Bermuda series that could be selected. In the 1950s and 1960s, Bermuda grass generally became the main golf course grass. In the 1940s, a scientist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Glen Burton, accidentally discovered some dense, short, medium-quality grass in his feed field in the town of Tifton, Georgia. After hybridization, he launched Tifton 57 (TIFLAWN) in 1957. This grass is very suitable for planting on sports fields but not on greens because it grows fast. So Burton continued to study and learned that another scientist had hybridized his Tifton 57 with local dog roots in Africa. After being inspired, he advocated and obtained many local dog roots in southern golf courses. After hundreds of hybridizations, Burton launched Tifton 127 (TIFFINE), Tifton 328 (TIFGREEN) and Tifton 419 (TIFWAY). The dwarf Bermuda (TIFDWARF) was bred by another scientist through the current genetic selection of 328, but was registered by Burton in 1955.
To this day, Tifton is still the authoritative center for the identification of Bermuda hybrids. In recent years, another scientist, Hanna, is still conducting research in the town of TIFTON. He launched Eagle Grass and TIFSPORT, both of which have mother plants from China.
Post time: Dec-09-2024