St. Augustinegrass accessions planted in northern, central and southern Italy: Growth and morphological traits during establishment
The use of warm season turfgrasses is a consolidated trend in the climatic transition zone of Mediterranean countries, in particular St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze) begins to be widespread in warm coastal areas. However, little is known about the performance of the different cultivars of this species in southern Europe. In 2016-2017 a trial was carried out in three locations in Italy, Padova, Pisa, and Palermo, located in the north, center and south of the country respectively. Four cultivars (Floratine, Captiva, Sapphire, Palmetto) and five ecotypes (CeRTES 201, CeRTES 202, CeRTES 203, CeRTES 204, CeRTES 205) were compared in terms of their growth characteristic…
Seashore paspalum in the Mediterranean transition zone: phenotypic traits of twelve accessions during and after establishment
The use of warm-season turfgrasses is consolidated in the transitional areas of Mediterranean countries and some field trials have provided information on the adaptability of seashore paspalum to Mediterranean environment. Nonetheless, little is known on the performance of the different commercial cultivars of <em>Paspalum vaginatum</em> in this climatic zone. Furthermore, considering the high degree of variability of this species, ecotypes have the potential to supply new plant material with desired turf characteristics. The research aimed at comparing growth characteristics and morphological traits of eight commercial cultivars of seashore paspalum (Platinum, Salam, SeaDwarf, …