Comparative performance of warm season turfgrass varieties under Delhi conditions

The present investigation was carried out at Division of Floriculture and Landscaping, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications and seven treatments consisting of six varieties (viz. Selection 1, Bargusto, Panama, Panam, Palma and Tifdwarf 419) and Paspalum notatum species. These were evaluated for their suitability to be used as turfgrass under Delhi conditions. The suitability was evaluated on the basis of different morphological, physiological and biochemical traits. Out of evaluated varieties and species,Tifdwarf 419 exhibited better performance with respect to shoot dry weight (2.03 g/100 cm(2)), shoot fresh weight (5.78 g/100 cm(2)), root length (17.17 cm), root density (35.00 number/100 cm(3)), relative water content (86.96 %), chlorophyll a (2.63 mg/g fresh weight), chlorophyll b (0.53 mg/g fresh weight) and total chlorophyll (3.24 mg/g fresh weight) when compared to other varieties. Apart from these characteristics, short shoot length of 6.07 cm and high shoot density (331.27 number/100 cm(2) area), along with good colour throughout the growing season was observed in Tifdwarf 419. Selection 1 also showed desirable shoot fresh weight (5.07 g/100 cm(2)), root length (16.10 cm), root density (28.87 number/100 cm(3)) and shoot density (395.40 number/100 cm(2) area). The Cynodon dactylon varieties Tifdwarf 419 and Selection 1 were found to be most suitable to be used as turfgrasses in Delhi conditions.