ABSTRACT
Over 12.2 million hectares of turfgrass are managed in America (Table 1).These turfgrass areas contribute to our lives through a variety of functional, aesthetic, and recreational roles. Turfgrass provides soil stabilization, dust, and erosion control; clean, cool air; a recreational surface; and ornamentation to businesses, homes, and parks. Turfgrass management consists of all activities that influence the growth and maintenance of the grass. Proper management must consider and respond to biological conditions such as turf type, fertility, wear, pest problems, and environmental conditions such as light, rain, drought, shade, temperature fluctuations, snow, and ice. Weeds reduce the erosion control and cooling effects of turf, the visual aesthetics of parks and gardens, and the playability of golf courses and athletic fields. Because of their adaptability weeds quickly fill in open areas left by soil fertility or pH problems, insect or disease problems, shady or droughty areas, and newly seeded turf. Many turfgrass management strategies have been designed to maximize turf growth 604and minimize the influence of weedy species. But, despite prescription fertilizer, optimized mowing, adapted turf types, disease and insect control programs, and pre- and postemergence herbicide programs, weeds continue to be a problem in turfgrass. Hectares of Maintained Turfgrass in the United States in 1988
Category
Hectares millions
Home lawns
2.6
Golf courses
0.6
Sod production
0.4
Commercial and public grounds
3.3
Roadsides
4.1
Cemeteries
0.2
Other
1.0
Total
12.2
Source: Duble (1989).