COMPARATIVE STUDY ON TURFGRASS CULTIVARS OF FESTUCA ARUNDINACEA SCHREB., LOLIUM PERENNE L. AND POA PRATENSIS L. IN THE COASTAL ENVIRONMENT OF TUSCANY

M. Volterrani¹, G. Pardini¹, S. Magni¹ and E. Bonari²

¹Dipartimento di Agronomia e Gestione dell'Agroecosistema, via San Michele degli

Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa; ²Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento

S. Anna, via Carducci 40, 56100 Pisa

Comparative studies on turfgrass cultivars have been carried out only sporadically in Italy.  The objective of this study was to evaluate the adaptation of 20 cultivars of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (Fa), 53 of Lolium perenne L. (Lp) and 32 of Poa pratensis L. (Pp) for Tuscany (Italy).  Parameters considered were: 1000 seeds weight, leaf width, density, annual cumulated height, color and turf quality.  Marked variability in 1000 seeds weight was observed, above all in Lp and Pp.  Lowest leaf width values were recorded for "Bonaparte" among Fa, "Barsportivo" among Lp and "Cynthia", "Limousine" and "Mardona" among Pp. Highest density was observed in Pp ("Cocktail", with 4 shoot CM^-2).  Very low annual growth, below 30 cm, was observed in some cultivars of each of the three species.  Color showed considerable variability, with Pp "Barvictor" being among the lightest cultivars and Pp "Midnight" the darkest.  In assessment of turf quality, the best cultivar among Fa were judged to be "Barleduc" (6.8) and "Arid II" (6.0), the best among Lp were "Chaparral" and 'Verdi" (6.5), and the best among Pp were "Cocktail", "Limousine", "Midnight" and "Nuglade" (6.8).

Keywords: turfgrass; cultivar; Festuca arundinacea; Lolium perenne; Poa pratensis.