PERFORMANCES OF NEWLY INTRODUCED Festuca arundinacea Schreb. CULTIVARS VERSUS Lolium perenne L. IN A MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the adaptability and turf quality of newly introduced Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cultivars in comparison with Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) under Mediterranean environmental conditions of experimental fields of Bayindir Training College Aegean University, Izmir, Turkey in 2008-2010. Six cultivars of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) were compared with the most popular perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivar in the area for two years in a replicated experimental design (randomized complete block). On the cultivars of both species, turf colour, texture, weed invasion and quality traits were determined by using a visual score (1-9) assessed monthly from January to December, during 2008 - 2010. All tall fescue cultivars were better than perennial ryegrass to cope with climatic condition and achieved higher scores in all traits almost in all seasons, and cultivar Turbo and SR8600 performed far better than perennial ryegrass cultivar Henrietta.