Due to limited water availability and increasing water costs, it is essential to identify and utilize turfgrasses with reduced water use rates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the evapotranspiration rates of bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) genotypes under nonlimiting soil moisture conditions in the field at Stillwater, OK. Evapotranspiration rates of 10 bermudagrass genotypes were determined using mini‐lysimeters with calcined clay as rooting media. Daily evapotranspiration (ET) rates were measured before dawn by weighing the mini‐lysimeters from August to September in 2013, 2014, and 2015. A significant genotype × year effect was found. Therefore, data were analyzed separately for each year. Within years, the genotype × date effect was significant only in 2014. In 2013, ‘TGS_U3’, ‘TifTuf’, and ‘Premier’ used more water than OKC 1302, OKC 1163, ‘Latitude 36’, ‘Tifway’, and OKC 1131. In 2014, TifTuf, ‘Celebration’, Tifway, and OKC 1302 used more water than Premier, TGS_U3, ‘NorthBridge’, OKC 1163, and OKC 1131. In 2015, TifTuf, Celebration, and Latitude 36 used more water than Premier, OKC 1302, OKC 1163, OKC 1131, and NorthBridge. TifTuf ranked consistently in the group of genotypes with the highest ET rates, whereas OKC 1131 ranked consistently in the group of genotypes with lowest ET rates in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The differences in ET rates show the potential for breeding programs to develop bermudagrass cultivars with lower ET rates, which may result in reduced overall ET requirements.

Core aerification iscommonly used to manage organic matter and improve soil physical conditions of putting greens. Most methods of core aerification are labor intensive and temporarily reduce the playability of greens. Less invasive cultivation techniques are available, but their specific effects on playability and drainage properties of greens are often less understood. The objective of this study was to assess the shortterm effects of air-injection cultivation (AIC), sand-injection cultivation (SIC), and hollow-tine cultivation (HTC) on playability characteristics and soil physical properties of putting greens. A field study was conducted at the Oklahoma State University Turfgrass Research Center in Stillwater, OK, on a creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. 'Penncross') green from September 2017 to September 2019. Cultivation type and timing of application were arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. Cultivation type was defined as either AIC, SIC, or HTC, and each was applied in spring, summer, and fall. Compared with the control, HTC reduced surface firmness by 5% at 28 d after cultivation event (DACE), increased infiltration by 87% at 28 DACE, reduced ball roll distance by 6% up to 14 DACE, and reduced normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by 10% up to 14 DACE. Neither AIC nor SIC had a detectable effect on measured variables. Results suggest a single application of AIC or SIC has minimal short-term effects on soil physical properties or surface playability of putting greens.

Regenerative farming is a common practice adopted to enhance soil health. Routinely, cheaply measured soil health indicators can be used to predict unknown soil health indicators, which makes analysis simple and fast. The objective of this study was to determine the interaction and relationship between soil health indicators and the effects of regenerative farming practices on soil health indicators. We conducted a comprehensive on-farm study across Florida, measuring 11 soil health indicators for 592 soil samples that were collected from the surface 15 cm of soil on 13 experimental sites. Sampled fields were conventionally managed or subjected to either cover cropping, organic amendment application, or their combination, and fallow fields as control plots. We tested the Pearson correlation coefficient between 11 soil health indicators and further tested the types of relationships between each indicator using regression analysis. Strong positive correlations (r ≥ + .5 to 1.0) were obtained, especially between organic matter (OM) with maximum water holding capacity (MWHC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil protein (SP), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN); MWHC with CEC, SP, and TKN; TKN with CEC and SP; total phosphorus (TP) with Mehlich-3 phosphorus (M3P). A strong negative correlation (r ≥ -.5 to -1.0) was observed between bulk density (BD) with OM, MWHC, CEC, and TKN. No significant change in soil health indicators was observed in control plots except for active carbon (AC) and CEC. Organic amendments and a combination of organic amendments with cover crops were effective in improving soil health indicators. However, cover crops alone had no effect on soil health indicators except for CEC and M3K.

Conventional cropping systems on sandy soils require continuous application of large amounts of external nutrients and irrigation water yet remain vulnerable to loses of these inputs. Within the state of Florida, need exists to provide farmers with economically viable alternatives that harness ecological processes and improve soil health and biodiversity. Cover crops are proving to be vital in the development of soil health. As part of this study we conducted a comprehensive on-farm assessment involving nine collaborative growers (ten farms) across the state; with each individual farm following its unique cover-cropping practice. Our goal was to shadow their practice and determine its effect on soil health indicators such as soil pH, bulk density (BD), maximum water holding capacity (MWHC), organic matter (OM), active carbon, cation exchange capacity, soil protein, Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), Mehlich-3 P (M3P) and potassium (M3K). Compared to fallow, soil OM, MWHC, and soil protein showed increases in cover crop fields for most farms, which presented a positive change towards building up soil health. Although soil TKN level was significantly decreased due to cover crops, soil protein level building up over time was the most positive change for soil health. M3K decreased in cover-crop fields, which indicated that supplementary K would be necessary prior to planting subsequent cash crops.