Zoysiagrass Stolon Growth and Tillering Under Moderate Shade.

Zoysiagrass species differ in shade tolerance, with Z. japonica considered less tolerant than Z. matrella. The objective of this study was to evaluate responses of experimental zoysiagrass progeny, most of which were crosses between Z. japonica x Z. matrella, for stolon growth and tillering under moderate tree shade (4820.8 µmols m^-2 s^-1).   Five new zoysiagrass progeny prescreened for good freeze tolerance and quality, and their respective parents, were evaluated in separate studies conducted in full sun and under moderate shade on the north edge of a line of maple trees.  Plugs measuring 6-cm in diam. were planted in the center of 1.2 m by 1.2 m plots arranged in a randomized complete block design in early June at the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center, Manhattan, Kansas in 2008 and 2009.  Data were collected weekly on stolon number and length, and data were evaluated as a percentage of growth in full sun.  Tiller numbers were counted at the beginning and end of the study under moderate shade. Data were analyzed using the general linear models procedure, and means were separated using Fisher’s protected LSD at P ≤ 0.05.  In the first year of evaluation, stolon number and length declined from 48 to 97% under moderate shade for all zoysiagrasses.  Stolon length of Chinese Common was least effected by moderate shade (-1.1%), whereas Diamond had the greatest decline (-79%). Declines in tiller number across zoysiagrasses between June and September under moderate shade ranged from 2.7 to 47.7%; however, Chinese Common (+ 13.3%), Emerald (+11.8%), and progeny from crosses of Emerald x Meyer (+ 1.6 to 9.5 %) exhibited increases in tiller number.