1. Seed Research of Oregon Seed Technology Camp 2006
WELCOME!!
Ken May

2. Fine Fescue Family
Fine Fescues are the unsung heroes of the turf grass industry
Very fine texture
Shade tolerant
Slow growing
Low fertility requirements
Low moisture requirements

3. Fine Fescue Family Fine Fescues –What kinds? Chewings Fescue
Creeping Red Fescue
Slender Creeper
Strong Creeper
Hard Fescue
Blue Fescue

4. Fine Fescue-Why? High stress tolerance - significant improvements
Use for low maintenance turf alone or as major percentage in blend
Improved cultivars allow use as high quality turf
All endophyte enhanced
Not just for shade mixtures
Develop mixtures and actively promote improvements

5. Fine Fescue Performance
Low maintenance fairway trials - WI, MN, IL
Colonial bentgrass + fine fescues
Fine fescues mixtures
Individual fine fescue cultivars
Organic and synthetic fertilizers
No irrigation, wear applied
Highest quality improved Chewings, Mixture of improved cultivars of fine fescues
Fine fescues better under drought
Organic maintained higher fine fescue, faster divot recovery with synthetic

6. Chewings Fescue Strengths
Rapid germination - close to perennial ryegrass
Winter-active growth
Heat tolerance - improved cultivars
Tolerant of low height of cut - most improved cultivars
Recent studies on low maintenance fairways in WI, MN and IL showed highest performance by Chewings
WI NTEP Fairway Trials with wear applied Chewings fescue was highest ranked
Good summer patch, leaf spot resistance

7. Chewings Fescue
Comparison of fine fescue with Penncross creeping bentgrass in fairway under drought conditions WI
Dr. Gwen Stahnke - Washington State University Puyallup, WA Dr. Leah A. Brilman - Seed Research of Oregon

8. Chewings Fescue Where to use
Fairways - Northern United States, PNW, Coastal CA
Fairways - Overseeding blends with perennial ryegrass
Roughs - Northern through transition zone.
How to use
With all bentgrasses for divot repair or greens repair
Low maintenance fairways
Roughs - shaded, ornamental seedheads
Overseeding blends - better transition, fine textured
In blends with Kentucky bluegrass for fairways/roughs

9. SR 5130 (SRX 51G) Chewings Active summer growth - heat tolerance
Excellent resistance to summer patch, leaf spot, and dollar spot
Excellent turf quality under high, medium and low maintenance
Best density in stress sites
High seed yields

10. Slender Creeping Red Fescue
Strengths
High salt tolerance
Resistance to rapid blight
Short rhizomes for repair
Tolerant of short cutting heights for fairways
Improved ones with high heat tolerance
Excellent fall, winter and spring color
Extensively used in Europe for fairways . European types have less heat tolerance, higher density, low seed yields.
Short growing height

11. Slender Creeping Red Fescue
Where to use
Fairways - areas with salt problems overseeding blends and permanent turf in cool season areas
Greens and tees for overseeding in salt areas - used for permanent greens in UK
Roughs - mown and unmown.
Important component in links style blends
Besides parking lots, roadways where salt is used
How to use
Blends with other fine fescues, colonial bentgrass, bluegrass and perennial ryegrass

12. Dawson slender creeping red fescue Perennial ryegrass

13. SRX 55R Slender creeping red
Highest fine fescue in Central valley of CA - high heat tolerance
Excellent resistance to summer patch, leaf spot, and dollar spot
High salt tolerance - parental lines found growing at edge of ocean
Great fairway and low maintenance grass
High endophyte - natural infection
High seed yields

14. Strong Creeping Red Fescue
Strengths
Long rhizomes for rapid repair
New cultivars show excellent heat tolerance
New cultivars tolerate mowing at 1/2 inch with wear
New cultivars have high summer patch resistance
Very compatible in blends with Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues and colonial bentgrass
Quick germination

15. SR5250 (SRX 52961) Strong Creeping Red
Highest heat and drought tolerance
Maintained stand OK and Central Valley of CA
High performance wear and low cutting WI
Excellent turf quality under high, medium and low maintenance
Excellent resistance to summer patch, leaf spot and dollar spot
Will persist in all blends, all locations without overdominating stand

16. Hard Fescue Strengths Very drought tolerant
Excellent performance in dry shade, under trees
New cultivars improved summer patch resistance - can be used in fairways
Slow growth
Low fertility requirement
Lower growing ornamental seedhead for roughs

17. SR 3150 Hard Fescue SRX 3961 last NTEP High summer patch resistance
Tolerates wear and low height of cut in WI
Very shade tolerant
High turf quality with no irrigation
High turf quality at all management levels
Very high summer heat and drought resistance

18. SR 3210 Blue Fescue Blue-green color- all plants blue color
Very drought tolerant
Excellent shade tolerance
Grows in area of dry shade
Requires little or no fertility
Great for low maintenance sites
Uses: Home lawns, roadsides, ornamental plantings, wildflower areas, roughs

19. Why overseed with different species?
Use mixtures for genetic diversity
Resistance to diseases and stresses
Color contrast
Improved transition
Improved quality
Smaller seeds
Potential cost savings

20. Why overseed with different species?
Labyrinthula (Rapid Blight) on Poa trivialis in SC

21. Fine fescues - Overseeding
Very fine with stiff texture
Good wear tolerance
Winter-active growth
Improved transition with high quality
Rapid germination - Chewings and red
Resistance to Rapid Blight fungus
Medium seed size

22. Fine fescues - Overseeding
High salt tolerance
Color and texture contrast
Increase genetic diversity of mixtures
Mixtures with perennial ryegrass,
bentgrasses, Poa Trivialis
Seeding rates (alone) - Do not mow too soon
Greens lbs./1000 sq. ft.
Tees lbs./1000 sq. ft.
Fairways lbs./1000 sq.ft. - Excellent

23. Outlook for
*Anticipate average yields, but low carryover and strong demand will keep the fine fescues in tight supply.
*Limited supply of the newer varieties.
-SR 5250 strong creeper
-SRx55R slender creeper-(very limited)
-SR 5130 Chewings fescue
-SR 3210 blue fescue
-SR 3150 hard fescue
*Prices should remain firm with some potential upside. Canadian creeper prices are up.