Fish Wrap - Feb 2014, Issue 21 1 | Page 3

RESEARCH Highlights ROBERTO GURGEL Mississippi State University University of Tennessee MSU is evaluating and comparing UTN is evaluating Latitude 36 and ultra-dwarf Bermudagrasses’ root NorthBridge as a safety surface for systems, including Sunday and other players. For several years Tifway 419 was ultra-dwarfs designed for golf greens. the best variety providing a safe surface Preliminary results show Sunday to have for players. Results show that Latitude 36 the most root biomass volume among all and North Bridge are consistently better varieties being tested. than Tifway 419. North Carolina State University NCSU is continuing to compare Discovery and Celebration to other Bermudagrasses under heavy shade (63% and 80%). Second year results indicate Discovery has very good quality under heavy shade. Ultra-dwarf NTEP University of Georgia Sunday is being evaluated with other UGA is evaluating several Bermudas, National Turfgrass Evaluation Program ultra-dwarf Bermudas, Zoysias and including Celebration, Latitude 36 EMPIRE and Celebration are now Paspalum varieties under a golf green and Discovery, under different mowing standards in NTEP After years of inten. maintenance regime including mowing at and fertilization regimes. Discovery sive use on home lawns and commercial green’s heights. It is the first time the shows excellent quality (less scalping) applications, Empire was selected to be National Evaluation Program is comparing under reduced mowing, while Latitude used as a standard in the National the performance of different types of 36 is displaying excellent density and Turfgrass Evaluation Program. Celebration grass (Bermudas, Zoysias and Paspalum) fine texture. is now also a standard, in recognition for in the same plot area. its wide spread use in golf, football, soccer and even in home lawns.