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Various proprietary seeding mixtures from Barenbrug, USA were examined to determine their effectiveness during both a spring and autumn establishment period under various levels of traffic. RPR perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), SOS annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and TurfBlue Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) were mixed at various ratios to examine how they performed under traffic stress. Also of interest was to determine if annual ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass could be used as an alternating dominant species. Materials and Methods The two studies were conducted on a disturbed Nicollet soil (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Aquic Hapludoll) with 43 ppm P (Bray 1), 83 ppm K, a pH of 6.8, and 4.0 percent organic matter at the Horticulture Research Station, Ames, IA. The spring trial was seeded on April 19, 2010 and the fall trial on September 9, 2010 by hand with premeasured bags provided by Barenbrug USA.

Seedbanking is a practice associated with heavy over-seeding to help athletic field managers sustain turf cover in high traffic scenarios and whether a true seedbank is being formed or if multiple inputs offer a source of fresh seed remains unanswered. Kentucky bluegrass was seeded at 30, 60, and 120 g m-2 and perennial ryegrass at 150, 300, and 450 g m-2 , both on bare ground, under two seeding schedules, and trafficked weekly during a US football season. Evaluations on percentage cover were made monthly during the season and emerged seedlings from plot cores were evaluated 3, 7, and 12 months after seeding to determine seedbanking potential. At the end of the traffic season, Kentucky bluegrass cover was 23.2% greater and perennial ryegrass was 10.6% greater for a single seeding compared to multiple. At 3 months after planting, multiple seedings resulted in 28.0 and 141.5 greater emerged seedlings for Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, respectively, than single seeding. Very few seedlings emerged from cores of either species taken at 7 and 12 months after seeding. Turf managers will maximize turf cover on bare areas by seeding heavily in early fall, and can provide a fresh source of seed through the season by multiple seedings. No beneficial seedbanking ability was observed with either species.

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