Cures for Seashore Paspalum Scalping.

 One of damages of lower mowing heights for a putting green is scalping with multiple causing factors. Minimizing the time to recover from scalping damages is important to resume putting green playability. As a relative new putting green turfgrass, seashore paspalum’s (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz.) scalping recovery capabilities at lower mowing heights has not been thoroughly evaluated in the inland southeastern region. A field study has been conducted since summer 2008 and repeated two times in summer 2009 (on the same site and a new site) to evaluate preventative cultural practices to reduce occurrence of scalping on golf greens on a USGA specification green with 85% sand 15% peat-moss (v:v). The research greens were established using sprigs in 2007 and 2008. The curative treatments of Primo (trinexapac-ethyl) growth regulator at 0 or 0.2193 L ha^-1 and nitrogen as urea at two rates of 21.97 kg ha^-1 and 43.95 kg ha^-1 were applied weekly after a heavy scalping event. After scalping occurred at the lower mowing heights (2.54 and 2.29 mm), mowing heights were raised to 3.18 mm and 2.54 mm to observe the effect mowing height on recovery. Results show that raising mowing heights was the most significant curative factor to help the scalped seashore paspalum putting green recovery.