(Megan Kennelly, KSU Plant Pathology)
I was out looking at our zoysiagrass breeding plots the other day and in a couple of plots I saw some seedhead development:
This was unusual, as we typically see this in spring, and it’s probably just a unique physiology of these couple of breeding lines. Anyway, this observation prompted me to mention that we are continuing KSU’s work on zoysiagrass seedhead suppression. You may have seen the articles about the prior excellent work by Dr. Hoyle and colleagues which you can view here:
and here (academic peer-reviewed version)
https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/cftm/abstracts/4/1/180012?access=0&view=pdf
We are following up on this work with additional trials to hone in on the biology and management of seedheads, fine-tuning application timings of ethephon. Stay tuned for results in the coming 1-2 years as we collect data. The project team members are PhD student Manoj Chhetri, Jack Fry, Jared Hoyle, me, and Aaron Patton (Purdue). The project is funded by the GCSAA, Heart of America Golf Course Superintendents Association, and Kansas Turfgrass Foundation.
