This study examined the influence of temperature on germination rates of 18 creeping bentgrass cultivars. Seeds were incubated at 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C and germination was counted daily. Germination rates varied between cultivars and increased with higher temperatures. At 10°C, Pure Select and Penn A4 had the highest germination rates while T-1, Mackenzie, and Focus had the lowest. Managers can use these results to select cultivars like Pure Select or Penn A4 that germinate best at low temperatures for early spring seeding.

1. INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON
GERMINATION OF VARIOUS AGROSTIS CULTIVARS
D.E. CARROLL AND J.E. KAMINSKI
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

2. CREEPING BENTGRASS (AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA)
• Important Species to
Golf Courses
• Many Maintain
Bentgrass Putting
Greens
• Widespread Use

3. ABG In CBG

4. ANNUAL BLUEGRASS (POA ANNUA L.)
• Winter Annual
• Common Weed on Golf
Courses
• Susceptible to Extreme
Temperatures

5. WINTER DAMAGE
• Caused by Desiccation, Direct Low Temperature Kill,
Anoxia, or Crown Hydration (Aamlid et al., 2009)
• Occurs Sporadically Throughout Northeast U.S.
• In 2015 80% of Those Surveyed Reported Winter Kill
(USGA, 2015)
• Superintendents Have a Small Window to Establish
New Turf

6. EARLY SPRING ESTABLISHMENT
• Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.)
Often Seeded into Bare Areas
• Little Information is Known About the
Influence of Temperature on Germination
• Bentgrass Germination at Low Temperatures
May Result in Quicker Establishment

7. OBJECTIVE
• Elucidate the Influence of Temperature on
Bentgrass Germination

8. MATERIALS AND METHODS
• Bentgrass Cultivars (n = 18)
• Water Agar
– Average of 60 Seeds Per Plate
• Temperatures (n = 4)
– 10˚C, 15˚C, 20˚C, 25˚C
– 24 Hour Darkness

9. BENTGRASS CULTIVARS
Cultivar Company Species
Alpha Simplot Creeping
Cobra2 Pickseed Creeping
Crystal Bluelinks Tee 2 Green Creeping
Focus Pickseed Creeping
Mackenzie Seed Res of Oregon Creeping
Penn A1 Tee 2 Green Creeping
Penn A4 Tee 2 Green Creeping
Penncross Tee 2 Green Creeping
Pureformance Tee 2 Green Creeping
*Agrostis canina – Velvet Bentgrass
Cultivar Company Species
Pure Distinction Tee 2 Green Creeping
Pure Select Tee 2 Green Creeping
SR 1150 Seed Res of Oregon Creeping
T-1 Simplot Creeping
Tyee Seed Res of Oregon Creeping
V8 Simplot Creeping
Vesper Pickseed Velvet*
Villa DLF Int Seeds Velvet*
007 Seed Res of Oregon Creeping

10. MATERIALS AND METHODS
• CRD with 4 Reps
• Germinated Seeds Counted
and Removed Daily
• Incubators Re-Randomized
and Study Repeated
• Data Analyzed With SAS,
MIXED Procedure

12. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 25˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
CDE
BCD
AB
ABC
C-F
BCD
CDE
G
DEF
BCD
C-F
EF
BCD
A-D
C-F
F
BCD
PercentGermination

13. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 25˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
CDE
BCD
AB
ABC
C-F
BCD
CDE
G
DEF
BCD
C-F
EF
BCD
A-D
C-F
F
BCD
PercentGermination

14. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 20˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
ABC
AB
A
AB
B-EB-E
CDE
F
DE
A-DB-EA-E
CDE
A-D
B-E
E
ABC
PercentGermination

15. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 20˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
ABC
AB
A
AB
B-EB-E
CDE
F
DE
A-DB-EA-E
CDE
A-D
B-E
E
ABC
PercentGermination

16. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 15˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
A-DA-D
AB
ABC
CDECDE
CDE
G
DEF
ABC
CDE
BCD
EF
CDE
C-F
F
A-D
PercentGermination

17. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 15˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
A-DA-D
AB
ABC
CDECDE
CDE
G
DEF
ABC
CDE
BCD
EF
CDE
C-F
F
A-D
PercentGermination

18. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 10˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
D-G
C-F
A
BCD
B
BC
CDE
H
E-H
BC
C-FC-F
FGH
E-H
D-G
GH
D-G
PercentGermination

19. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 10˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
D-G
C-F
A
BCD
B
BC
CDE
H
E-H
BC
C-FC-F
FGH
E-H
D-G
GH
D-G
PercentGermination

20. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 10˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
D-G
C-F
A
BCD
B
BC
CDE
H
E-H
BC
C-FC-F
FGH
E-H
D-G
GH
D-G
PercentGermination

21. TOTAL PERCENT GERMINATION 10˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Cultivar
A
D-G
C-F
A
BCD
B
BC
CDE
E-H
BC
C-FC-F
FGH
E-H
D-G
GH
D-G
H
PercentGermination

22. GERMINATION OF SELECT CULTIVARS 10˚C
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Pure Select
Penn A4
Crystal Bluelinks
007
Pureformance
Pure Distinction
Focus
Tyee
MacKenzie
T-1
Villa
E-H
PercentGermination
Day
A
A
B
BC
BCD
E-H
FGH
GH
H
BC

23. RESULTS
• Pure Select = Penn A4 > Crystal Bluelinks =Pure
Distinction = 007 = Pureformance Among Highest
Total Germination
• T-1 = Mackenzie = Focus = Tyee Among Lowest Total
Germination
• Villa had Poor Germination (<16%) – Fungal
Contamination

24. RESULTS
• At 10C, All Cultivars Began to Germinate ~11-12 Days
After Incubation
• Except for Penn A4, Germination Leveled Off Around
13-14 Days After Incubation
• Penn A4 Leveled Off Around Day 15-16

25. CONCLUSION
• Fungus Inhibited Villa
• Germination Differences Among Cultivars Existed
• Turfgrass Managers Can Use This Information to
Select Cultivars for Seeding in Early Spring
– Pure Select or Penn A4
• Consider Other Factors in Selection

26. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Students & Staff
– Tim Lulis
– Patrizia Rollo
– Cameron Stephens