Seasonal Traffic Tolerance In the 2006 NTEP Tall Fescue Test.

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is well adapted to the transition zone and breeding efforts have produced newer, high quality cultivars that can be used for parks and sports fields. Cultivar performance based on the specific season of play would be useful. The objective of this study was to assess the traffic tolerance of tall fescue in spring, summer, and fall. The 113 entries comprising the 2006 NTEP Tall Fescue Test were established in September 2006 on a Nixon loam in North Brunswick, NJ. The test was mowed at 7.6-cm and irrigated to avoid severe drought stress. Twenty-four passes of wear were applied over two to three days in April 2009 (spring), October 2009 (fall), and July 2010 (summer). Ten passes of a vibratory roller (1362 kg) were applied 6 to 14 days after wear. The fullness of turfgrass canopy (0-100% scale; 100%=full canopy) for each entry was rated before wear (C) and 8 to 9 days after rolling (C_T). Canopy loss after traffic was calculated as: C_T-C. Analysis of variance was performed on data using in a randomized complete block design with three replications in each season; replications were nested within season-year (spring, summer, and fall). The effect of entry explained 52% of the total variation in C_T compared to 33% for season-year and 12% for season-year x entry. Overall, traffic during fall resulted in a lower C_T than traffic during spring or summer. While C_T was not different between spring and summer traffic, the amount of canopy loss was lower for spring than summer. Incomplete green-up and accordingly a lower C during spring explained this apparent discrepancy in traffic response between summer and spring as measured by C_T and C_T-C. Season-year x entry responses will be presented.