Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing freeze-tolerance in St. Augustinegrass: temperature response and evaluation methods

  • Published:
Euphytica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Winter hardiness is a major-limiting factor for St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] grown in the transitional climatic region of the United States. Lab-based freeze tests that mimic the range of field winter survivability in St. Augustinegrass can contribute to the selection of cold hardy genotypes. This study used a whole container method, four freezing temperatures, and two data collection systems to evaluate the freezing response of nine St. Augustinegrass genotypes ranging in their winter hardiness. Results indicated −3 and −4 °C with average regrowth ratings of 33.6 and 17.8% respectively, were more suitable temperatures for evaluating freeze survival in St. Augustinegrass than −5 and −6 °C with average regrowth ratings of 0.4 and 0%, respectively. Visual ratings of surviving green tissue and regrowth were generally well correlated when evaluated over a six week period post-freeze with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging of 0.17–0.62  for −3 °C freeze tests and 0.79–0.93 for −4 °C freeze tests. Additionally, measurement of percent green cover using digital imaging techniques commonly utilized in turfgrass field studies were significantly correlated (0.66) with visual ratings averaged across weekly post-freeze evaluation measurements for both −3 and −4 °C freezing temperatures. These results provide evidence that digital imaging analyses are useful in estimating surviving green tissue and regrowth in lab-based freeze tests. This study provides additional information regarding freezing temperatures, genotype responses, and data collection methods in St. Augustinegrass, which should aid breeders in the improvement of freeze tolerance in the species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson JA, Taliaferro CM (2002) Freeze tolerance of seed-producing turf bermudagrasses. Crop Sci 42:190–192

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JA, Taliaferro CM, Martin DL (2002) Freeze tolerance of bermudagrasses. Crop Sci 42:975–977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JA, Taliaferro CM, Martin DL (2003) Longer exposure durations increase freeze damage to turf bermudagrasses. Crop Sci 43:973–977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Busey P (2003) Winter survival of St. Augustinegrass cultivars. HortScience 38:1439–1440

    Google Scholar 

  • Bush E, Wilson P, Shepard D, McCrimmon J (2000) Freezing Tolerance and Nonstructural carbohydrate composition of carpetgrass (Axonopus affinis Chase). HortScience 35:187–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardona CA, Duncan RR, Lindstrom O (1997) Low temperature tolerance assessment in Paspalum. Crop Sci 37:1283–1291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dione J, Castonguay Y, Nadeau P, Desjardins Y (2001) Freezing tolerance and carbohydrate changes during cold acclimation of green-type annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) ecotypes. Crop Sci 41:443–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn JH, Bughrara SS, Warmund MR (1999) Low temperature tolerance of zoysiagrasses. HortScience 34:96–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Espevig T, DaCosta M, Hoffman L, Aamlid TS, Tronsmo AM, Clarke BB, Huang B (2011) Freezing tolerances and carbohydrate changes of two Agrostis species during cold acclimation. Crop Sci 51:1188–1197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry JD, Lang NS, Clifton RGP (1991) Freezing resistance and carbohydrate composition of ‘Floratam’ St. Augustinegrass. HortScience 26:1537–1539

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry JD, Lang NS, Clifton RGP, Maier FP (1993) Freezing tolerance and carbohydrate content of low temperature-acclimated and non-acclimated centipedegrass. Crop Sci 33:1051–1055

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horn GC, Dudeck AE, Toler RW (1973) Floratam St. Augustinegrass: A fast growing new variety for ornamental turf resistant to St. Augustine decline and chinch bugs. Univerity of Florida, Gainesville

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinton JD, Livingston DP, Tuong T, Miller GL, Peacock CH (2012) Freeze tolerance of nine Zoysiagrass cultivars using natural cold acclimation and freeze chambers. HortScience 47:112–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Judd BI (1975) New World tropical forage grasses and their management: Bermudagrass, giant stargrass, St. Augustinegrass Jaraguagrass. World Crops 27(2):69–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Karcher DE, Richardson MD (2003) Quantifying turfgrass color using digital image analysis. Crop Sci 43:943–951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karcher DE, Richardson MD (2005) Batch analysis of digital images to evaluate turfgrass characteristics. Crop Sci 45:1536–1539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li R, Qu R, Bruneau AH, Livingston DP (2010) Selection for freezing tolerance in St. Augustinegrass through somaclonal variation and germplasm evaluation. Plant Breeding 129:417–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu H, Nagata R, Kenworthy K, Quesenberry K, Busey P (2015) Registration of ‘NUF-76′ St. Augustinegrass. J Plant Reg. doi:10.3198/jpr2014.10.0073crc

    Google Scholar 

  • Maier FP, Lang NS, Fry JD (1994a) Evaluation of an electrolyte leakage technique to predict St. Augustinegrass freezing tolerance. HortScience 29:316–318

    Google Scholar 

  • Maier FP, Lang NS, Fry JD (1994b) Freezing tolerance of three St. Augustinegrass cultivars as affected by stolon carbohydrate and water content. J Amer Soc Hort Sci 119:473–476

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milla-Lewis SR, Kimball JA, Claure TE, Tuong TD, Arellano C, Livingston DP (2013) Freezing tolerance and the histology of recovering nodes in St. Augustinegrass. Int Turfgrass Soc J 12:523–530

    Google Scholar 

  • Moseley D, Patton AJ, Trappe J (2010) Winter hardiness of thirty St. Augustinegrass genotypes. Ark Ag Exp Stn Res Ser 593:79–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdoch CL, Dudeck AE and Guy CL (1990) Development of a technique for screening St. Augustinegrass for cold tolerance. Turfgrass Res Fla 53–62

  • Patton AJ, Reicher ZJ (2007) Zoysiagrass species and genotypes differ in their winter injury and freeze tolerance. Crop Sci 47:1619–1627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Philley HW, Krans JV, Watson CE Jr, Goatley JM Jr, Maddox V, Tomaso-Peterson (1043) Turf performance of St. Augustinegrass cultivars in north Mississippi. Miss Ag Exp, St. Bulletin

    Google Scholar 

  • Philley HW, Watson CE Jr, Krans JV, Goatley JM Jr, Matta FB (1995) Differential thermal analysis of St. Augustinegrass. HortScience 30:1388–1389

    Google Scholar 

  • Philley HW, Watson CE, Krans JV, Goatley JM, Maddox VL, Tomaso-Peterson M (1998) Inheritance of cold tolerance in St. Augustinegrass. Crop Sci. 38:451–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian YL, Ball S, Tan Z, Koski AJ, Wilhelm SJ (2001) Freezing tolerance of six cultivars of buffalograss. Crop Sci 41:1174–1178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds WC, Li R, De Silva K, Bruneau AH, Qu R (2009) Field performance of mutant and somaclonal variation lines of St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze]. Intl Turfgrass Soc Res J 11:573–582

    Google Scholar 

  • Riordan TP, Meier VD, Long JA, Gruis JT (1980) Registration of Seville St. Augustinegrass. Crop Sci. 20:824–825

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson MD, Karcher DE, Purcell LC (2001) Quantifying turfgrass cover using digital imaging analysis. Crop Sci 41:1884–1888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahba MA, Qian YL, Hughes HG, Koski AJ, Christensen D (2003) Relationships of soluble carbohydrates and freeze tolerance in saltgrass. Crop Sci 43:2148–2153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Inst. Inc. 2011. SAS/STAT 9.3 User’s Guide. SAS Inst., Inc. Cary, NC

  • SPSS Inc. 2002. Sigmascan Pro 5.0. SPSS Science, Chicago, IL, USA

  • Wilson CA, Reinert JA, Dudeck AE (1977) Winter survival of St. Augustine grasses in North Mississippi. S. Nurserymen’s Assn Res Conf Ann Rpt 22:195–198

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Aaron J. Patton for critical review of this manuscript. This research was supported in part by funding provided by the North Carolina Crop Improvement Association and the North Carolina State University Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Box 7620, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7620, USA

    Jennifer A. Kimball & Susana R. Milla-Lewis

  2. U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Tan D. Tuong & David P. Livingston III

  3. Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Box 8203, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8203, USA

    Consuelo Arellano

Authors
  1. Jennifer A. Kimball
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tan D. Tuong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Consuelo Arellano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David P. Livingston III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Susana R. Milla-Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susana R. Milla-Lewis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kimball, J.A., Tuong, T.D., Arellano, C. et al. Assessing freeze-tolerance in St. Augustinegrass: temperature response and evaluation methods. Euphytica 213, 110 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-017-1899-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-017-1899-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation