Photograph showing encroachment of Tifway from the greens collar into Tifdwarf on green. Each stolon was lifted and then measured and counted. Separation had been maintained untill green was well established in order to fix the location of the separating line, then as mowing of the green began, grasses were allowed to encroach for a 6 month period.

A photograph showing absence of encroachment of Tifway from collar into CHAMPION on green.

This picture shows invasion of CHAMPION into Tifdwarf on right. The single string on the left indicates the original line of separation. The double string line on the right indicates the average distance of invasion of CHAMPION into Tifdwarf.

CHAMPION demonstrated superior resistance to encroachment from the Tifway bermudagrass growing on an adjacent collar.
This addresses the problem of greens "shrinking" over time due to encroachment from surrounding grasses.
Comparative assessments of the resistance to encroachment into the CHAMPION and Tifdwarf bermudagrass greens by the Tifway bermudagrass collar measured from their common planting borders. Tifway collar was mowed at 1/2" and the green at 1/8".
Planting date was 4/1/95. Assessment date was 11/8/95.
ISTI - College Station, Texas, 1995.
Cultivar |
Average Length of Encroaching Tifway Stolon (mm)
|
Number of Tifway Stolons Found in a 15 ft.
linear section
|
CHAMPION |
285a*
|
54a
|
Tifdwarf |
393b
|
96b
|
*Means followed by the same letter in the same columnare not significantly different at the 5% LSD t Test.
CHAMPION dominates the cultivars Tifdwarf and Tifgreen growing on the same green. On a green mowed at 1/8 inch, CHAMPION invaded areas which had been previously held by the other two grasses. Neither Tifdwarf nor Tifgreen encroached into the CHAMPION area.
In a polystand situation with either of these two cultivars, CHAMPION would dominate. This characteristic should help ensure that a monostand of CHAMPION would remain a monostand by resisting encroachment from contaminating grasses.