Performance and playability of experimental low-input coarse-textured zoysiagrass in multiple climates

A 3-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance and playability of 24 coarse-textured zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp. Willd.) experimental genotypes in comparison to five commercially available cultivars maintained as a low-maintenance turf across multiple climates (Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and California). Following establishment in 2018, plots were maintained under low-maintenance regimes and evaluated for quality, density, uniformity, color, winterkill damage, drought resistance, and golf ball lie in 2019 and 2020. A turf performance index (TPI) was calculated for each treatment at each site, which represented the number of times the treatment occurred in the top statistical group. The unique climate for each site led to differences in TPI scores. For instance, the arid climates of Arizona and California resulted in distinct differences in performance among treatments compared to the other sites. However, consistencies in performance across sites were also observed. For example, the 2018−2019 winter resulted in winterkill differences among entries in both Indiana and North Carolina, which led to some similarities in TPI. Furthermore, the southern humid climates of North Carolina and Georgia produced consistencies in overall TPI. Under the minimal inputs and the hot-humid or arid climates evaluated in this study, all of the check cultivars were some of the poorest performing treatments, which clearly illustrates there is a need for breeding programs to develop zoysiagrass genotypes for these climates. However, experimental lines that exhibited excellent persistence under these conditions were identified indicating the genetic potential for wider adaptation to lower input environments exists within the species.