ABSTRACT
Temperature is one of the primary factors that limit geographic adaptation of a plant species [1]. Turfgrass species are classifi ed as either cool-or warm-season grasses based on their growth and development response to varied temperatures. The optimum growth temperature for cool-season grasses is 18-24°C (∼65-75°F) while the optimum growth temperature for warm-season grasses is 27-35°C (∼80-95°F) [2]. Cool-season turfgrasses including bluegrasses (Poa spp.), bentgrasses (Agrostis spp.), fescues (Festuca spp.), and ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) have a C3 photosynthetic pathway and are well adapted to cool temperate regions. Alternatively, warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.), zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.), St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum [Walt.] Kuntze), centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides [Munro.] Hack.), buffalograss (Buchloë dactyloides [Nutt.] Engelm.), and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge.) have a C4 photosynthetic pathway and grow primarily in tropical and subtropical climates. Some of the coolseason grasses such as tall fescue (F. arundinacea Schreb.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) as well as the warm-season grasses zoysiagrass, bermudagrass, and buffalograss are frequently grown in the transitional zone between the cool and warm regions.
