Turf Performance of Mixtures and Blends of Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Perennial Ryegrass

Abstract

Various mixtures of tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L., and perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L., may be beneficial for turf culture because of genetic diversity and improved tolerance to environmental stresses compared with a single species. Turf-type tall fescue, dwarf tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass were seeded as cultivar blends and in all possible combinations as species mixtures in two locations, irrigated and nonirrigated. Turf was mowed at 19 and 51 mm and subjected to an interval of brief, but intensive, simulated traffic. Perennial ryegrass was the dominant species in all mixtures with tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, or both. After 5 years, turf-type tall fescue comprised 62% of mixtures with Kentucky bluegrass when averaged over locations. Dwarf tall fescue comprised 48% of mixtures compared with Kentucky bluegrass at 44%. Kentucky bluegrass was more competitive with tall fescue in the irrigated vs. nonirrigated location. Mowing height effected small changes in populations year to year while simulated traffic had little effect on populations at 1 year following treatment. The advantage of mixing species compared with individual species to reduce disease occurrence was evident on several occasions. Our study supports earlier research reports that tall fescue will remain competitive in mixture with Kentucky bluegrass several years after seeding.