Irrigation System, Planting Date, and Water Quality Effects on Establishment of 2 Warm -Season Grasses.

Water conservation strategies are becoming increasingly important as many municipalities limit the use of potable water for landscape irrigation. These strategies include the use of efficient irrigation systems and saline water for irrigation. A study was conducted at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, to compare 2 irrigation systems (sprinkler vs. subsurface-drip) and 2 planting dates (early March [dormant] vs. mid-June [standard]) on the establishment of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.)] cultivar Princess 77 and seashore paspalum [Paspalum vaginatum (Swartz)] cv. Sea Spray under 2 different qualities of irrigation water (saline at approximately 1500ppm TDS vs. potable at approximately 500 ppm). Plots were seeded in spring and summer of 2008, on a sandy skeletal mixed thermic Typic Torriorthent. During establishment, research plots were irrigated daily at 100% potential evapotranspiration. At 63 days after spring seeding there was no difference in germination between the 2 grasses for either water quality when data were pooled over irrigation systems. Drip irrigated plots showed significantly lower germination only for potable water but irrigation type did not influence germination after spring seeding when saline water was applied. Additional germination and establishment data will be presented for spring and summer seeding.