Preliminary Observations on the Traffic Tolerance of Four Seashore Paspalum Cultivars Compared to Hybrid Bermudagrass

Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) is a prostrate, perennial turfgrass used on golf courses and athletic fields in warm-season climates. Research data on the traffic tolerance of seashore paspalum compared with hybrid bermudagrass (Cyndon dactylon x Cynodon transvaalensis) is minimal. A study was conducted in 2008 to evaluate the traffic tolerance of 'Sea Isle 2000', 'Salam', 'Sea Dwarf, and 'Sea Isle 1' seashore paspalum relative to 'Tifway' hybrid bermudagrass. Traffic was applied with a Cady Traffic Simulator (CTS) and traffic tolerance was assessed visually through measurements of percentage of turfgrass cover after 36, 54, 72, and 90 passes were applied with the CTS. After 90 passes (45 simulated professional football games) with the CTS, 'Salam', 'Sea Dwarf', and 'Sea Isle 1' seashore paspalum exhibited greater traffic tolerance than `Tifway' hybrid bermudagrass; 'Sea Isle 2000' seashore paspalum exhibited the least amount of traffic tolerance in this study. These data suggest that some seashore paspalum cultivars may be a suitable alternative to hybrid bermudagrass on athletic fields in warm-season climates.