Characterization of Tall Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass Cultivars

There is a growing interest in using either perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) or tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for medium to high quality turfs in the north central area of the United States. While many new cultivars have been evaluated through the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) across the United States for general turf performance, an overall characterization of the selected experimental cultivars has not been undertaken. Several experiments were established to help characterize the relative germination, overall turf quality in both ambient and reduced light, the root system, and susceptibility to disease of these cultivars. Field experiments were established to evaluate the experimental cultivars and standard cultivars or other species or blends on a Catlin silt loam (Typic Argiudoll) with a pH of 6.4 and 5% organic matter. All species were maintained at a 3.8 cm mowing height. Additional experiments were established in controlled environments to measure root development and disease tolerance. On average, the quality of the experimental tall fescue cultivar WVPB-88-TF-89-201 in ambient light was rated in the highest quality mean group. Three experimental tall fescues, WVPB-88-TF-C-10, WVPB-88-TF-89-201, and WVPB-88-TF-B-21 were rated the highest quality in 96% reduced light. Total root length was not significantly different for any cultivars. The cultivars ‘Aztec,’ ‘Bonsai,’ and ‘Twilight’ are considered dwarf-type tall fescues and had similar root mass to all of the other turf-type tall fescues. While there were significant differences in disease severity ratings among perennial ryegrass or tall fescue cultivars. No cultivar was considered to be resistant to the evaluated diseases.