| Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a commonly cultivated turfgrass in Southern Nevada, one of North America's most arid climates. Recognized for its drought tolerance, tall fescue is nonetheless a significant water user in Southern Nevada. Since outdoor water use represents approximately 64% of all regional demand and peaks in the hot summer, efficient use of water on turfgrass such as tall fescue can make a significant contribution to water conservation as well as offset peak demand. Differing amounts of water were imposed, calculated as a leaching fraction (LF) of -0.40, -0.25, -0.15, 0.0 and +0.15 to reflect a continuum from severely-stressed to well-watered turfgrass. Nitrogen fertility treatments of 0, 1.2 and 2.4 Kg ha-1 were imposed to reflect zero, low and high N fertility. The results of the study showed that counter to current cultural management techniques, which emphasize daily watering, tall fescue performed well with twice weekly watering. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
