Table Of Content\\83û
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION
Ethan C. Holt____________________________________
by
A Study of Creeping Bentgrass. Agrostis Palustris
e n title d
Huds., for Fairway Uses__________________________________
COMPLIES WITH THE UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS ON GRADUATION THESES
AND IS APPROVED BY ME AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
Doctor of Philosophy__________________________________
Professor in Charge of Thesis
H. H* Kramers
Head of School or Department
J. B. Peterson
January 25,______ ia_ 50_
TO THE LIBRARIAN:----
XX
THIS THESIS IS NOT TO BE REGARDED AS CONFIDENTIAL.
GRAD, SCHOOX TORM 9—3-4fl~lM
A STUDY <F CREEPING BENTGRASS, AGROSTIS PALUSTRIS HUDS
FOR FAIRWAY USES
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty
of
Purdue University
by
Ethan Cleddy Holt
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
of
Doctor of Philosophy
February, 1950
ProQuest Number: 27714104
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sincere appreciation is expressed to Dr. H. R. Albrecht, former
ly of the Department of Agronomy, Purdue University for his interest
and assistance in the initiation of the problem and in obtaining a
portion of the data and to Dr. H. H. Kramer of the same department for
valuable suggestions in the procurement and interpretation of the data
and for his helpful suggestions and criticisms in the preparation of
the manuscript» The writer is grateful to Dr. G. 0. Mott and Dr*
Kenyon T. Payne of the same department for reading the manuscript and
making helpful suggestions»
Grateful acknowledgme nt is made to the Midwest Regional Turf
Foundation, without whose financial assistance this study could not.
have been conducted, and to the agronomy staff members and graduate
students who assisted in these investigations.
The writer is also very grateful to his wife, not only for her
help in analysis of the data, but also for her patience during the time
the study was being conducted and the manuscript prepared.
il
TABLE (F CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT . . . a . . . * . . . . , . . . . . . . . . * . . * , * * ix
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................. 1
RETIEN (F LITERATURE...................................................................................... 4
PROCEDURE ...........................................................................................................11
Fairway and Putting Green Tests • • • • • .................... • • • • • H
2,4""D 12
Seed Producing Ability 13
Progeny Test • • • • • • • • .................... 24
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION............................................... 15
EVALUATION OF VEGETATIVE STRAINS....................... 15
Fairway Test . . . . 15
Putting Green Test • • • • • • • • « • • • • • • • • • • • • 19
Reaction of Strains to 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid , • 30
2.4-D Applied as Dust to Soil • • « « • • • • • • • • • • 30
2.4-D Applied as Spray to Plants ............................................40
EVALUATION OF STRAINS FOR SEEDING........................... 51
Seed Producing Ability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Profuseness of Flowering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Seed Set With Open-Pollination . . • • • ...................• • • 51
Seed Set Under Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Progeny Test From Open-Pollinated Seed . . . . . . . . . 63
Spreading Rate and Growth Characteristics . . . . . . . . 63
Variability in Growth Characteristics . . . . . . . . . 80
Relationship of Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
ill
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................92
LITERATURE CITED........................................... 96
APPENDIX . . . . ................................... 100
iv
list op tables and figures
LIST GF TABLES
Table Page
l e Performance ratings of creeping bentgrass strains
clipped at fairway height, 1946 16
2. Performance ratings of bentgrass strains clipped at
putting green height, 1947 ........................... 20
3* Analysis of variance of ratings of bentgrass strains
clipped at putting green height, 1947 . . . . . . . . . . 22
4e Performance ratings of bentgrass strains under putting
green conditions, 1948 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5. Analysis of variance of ratings of bentgrass strains
under putting green conditions, 1948 . . . . . . . . . . 26
6. Effect of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on five strains
of creeping bent when acid was applied as dust to
soil prior to planting the grass, 1947 . . . . . . . . . 31
7. Analysis of variance of grass injury caused by applying
dry 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid to the soil prior
to planting, 1947 .................... . 32
8. Relative density of grass when planted at weekly intervals
following application of 2,4-D, 1947 . . . . . . . . . 33
9. Relative density of grass with four weekly dates of
planting following application of 2,4-D, 1947 . . . . . . 34
10. Relative weed content in plots receiving 2,4-D acid
prior to planting grass, 1947 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
11. Relative weed content in turf plots planted at weekly
intervals following application of 2,4-D, 1947 • • • • • 38
12. Analysis of variance of data on effectiveness of
applications of 2,4-D prior to planting grass in
the control of weeds, 1947 ....................... 39
13* Effect of 2,4-D spray on five strains of creeping
bentgrass, July 8, 1948. Readings taken July 22, 1948. • 41
14* Analysis of variance of grass injury caused by spray
applications of 2,4-D, July, 1948 ....................... « 42
V
Table Page
15# Recovery of bentgrass strains from 2,4-D injury 8 weeks
following application of add, 1948 • ♦ • • • • • • • • • 44
16* Analysis of variance of recovery from injury caused by
spray application of 2,4-D add, and injury caused
by second application September 1, 1948 . . . . . . 45
17* Injury to five strains of creeping bentgrass by second
application of 2,4-D acid. Sept* 1, 1948* Readings
taken Sept* 15, 1948 . . . . * * . . * . . , * 46
18* Root weight in grams per sample from creeping bentgrass
plots receiving 2,4-D add July 8 and Sept, 1, 1948 . . • 48
19, Analysis of variance of root weights from plots receiving
2,4-D add July 8 and Sept, 1, 1948 ................... . . 49
20, Profuseness of flowering for 51 strains of creeping
bentgrass, 1946 and 1947 * ................................... 52
21, Percentage seed set with open-pollination by 58 clones
of bentgrass, 1947 . . * * . . . . . . . . 53
22* Percentage seed set by 13 strains of creeping bentgrass
with open-pollination, 1948 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
23* Analysis of variance of seed set by 13 strains of
creeping bentgrass with open-pollination, 1948 . . . . . 56
24* Percentage seed set and date of blooming for 14 strains
of creeping bentgrass, 1948 * . . . . . . . . . . * * 58
25* Comparative seed set under bag and with open-pollination
for 14 strains of creeping bentgrass, 1948 ................... 60
26, Coeffidents of correlation between seed produdng
characteristics of strains studied in 1946, 1947,
and 1948. 61
27* Mean plant diameters in inches for 49 strains of
creeping bentgrass on two dates following estab
lishment April 29, 1948 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
28* Analysis of variance of diameters and growth character
istics of 49 strains of creeping bent, 1948 . . . . . . . 66
29* Analysis of variance of mean diameters of 49 strains of
creeping bentgrass on October 18, using the lattice,
design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
vi
Table Page
30* Mean plot diameters for Arlington at eight
measurement dates * • • • * • • • * • « • • • • • • • • • 71
31* Growth rate regression coefficients for open-pollinated
progeny of creeping bent, 1948 . . . ........................... 72
32* Average texture, density, and type of growth ratings
for 49 strains of creeping bentgrass, 1948 74
33* Average variances in diameter from replication strain
means for 49 strains of creeping bent, 1948 . . . . . . . 81
34* Analysis of variance of diameter and growth character
istics variances of strains in progeny nursery in 1948. ♦ 82
35* Average variances in growth characteristics from
replication strain means for 49 strains of creeping
bent, 1948 86
36, Coefficients of correlation between characters of strains
studied in progeny nursery in 1948 . . . . . . . . 88
37* Analysis of covariance of type of growth and density . . . . 90
