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The use of turf-type perennial ryegrasses
for golf course fairways, from the transition
zone northward, continues to grow at an astounding
rate. The ability of the new ryegrasses to
establish quickly and produce dense, tough
turf is the main reason for their success
story. This ability to establish quickly,
at most times of the year and over a broad
range of environments is crucial to their
performance. Many of the new perennial ryegrasses
also have excellent cold tolerance.
Turf experts agree that the best way to use
turf-type perennial ryegrasses is in a carefully
formulated blend of improved varieties that
are well adapted for the area of use.
Most of the new ryegrasses are good, but if
you have a choice, why not choose the best?
At Seed Research, we have developed CHAMPION®
G.Q. (Golf Quality) The components have been
carefully selected based upon actual testing
and evaluation by local universities, golf
courses and other test sites. The emphasis
in selection has been on qualities superintendents
have told us are most important: rapid establishment,
stress and disease resistance, and rapid recovery.
CHAMPION® G.Q. is composed of the SR 4000
series of perennial ryegrasses. The newest
members include SR 4200, a lower growing dwarf-type
with a dark green color, reduced mowing requirements,
and excellent tillering ability; SR 4400,
a unique ryegrass developed from material
collected from an unirrigated cemetery; and
SR 4010 developed for improved turf quality,
brown patch resistance and high density.
The SR 4000 series perennial ryegrasses have
excellent resistance to common turf diseases
including: crown rust, winter netblotch, large
brown patch, leaf spot, red thread and good
resistance to stem rust. Their broad genetic
base and high disease resistance contributes
to their superior performance.
The SR 4000 series perennial ryegrasses contain
very high levels of viable endophyte. A broad
range of endophyte sources in the different
varieties are used so these also have a broad
genetic base. Due to these very high endophyte
levels, CHAMPION® G.Q. shows enhanced
resistance to a number of important insects
including: billbugs, sod webworms, chinch
bugs, armyworms and aphids. The presence of
the endophyte also contributes to improved
stress tolerance with better summer survival,
enhanced fall recovery and reduced weed invasion.
These very high levels are maintained through
proper storage of breeder, foundation, and
certified seed.
CHAMPION® G.Q. has the ability to establish
quickly and suppress the growth of Poa annua.
Many golf courses have been using turf-type
perennial ryegrasses for several years with
outstanding results. Their fairways have been
converted from Poa annua to perennial ryegrass
in a very short time. In addition to beautiful
turf that can be mowed at 1/2 inch, the superintendent
will have much lower maintenance costs. As
one superintendent stated after converting
all of his fairways to perennial ryegrass,
"Now I can manage my golf course instead
of my golf course managing me."
Another use for CHAMPION® G.Q. in combating
Poa annua is mixing it with bentgrasses, like
SR 1020 and Providence, for fairway overseeding.
The ryegrasses compete with the Poa annua
and allow the bents to establish. The ryegrass
can be selectively removed producing an excellent
stand of bent. The SR 4000 series varieties
were developed with a dark green color, but
without extreme darkness that makes Poa annua
more obvious. They can be mowed at 1/2 inch
while still maintaining high stress tolerance
and density.
1 Golf Quality
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