Effects of Flurprimidol, Mefluidide, and Soil Moisture on St. Augustinegrass Evapotranspiration Rate
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of two plant growth regulators (PGR) and two soil moisture levels (SML) on the evapotranspiration (ET) rate, leaf extension rate (LER), and visual turfgrass quality of `Texas Common' St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] grown under glasshouse conditions in black plastic minilysimeters. Treatments included mefluidide at 0.42 kg·ha-1, flurprimidol at 0.84 kg·ha-1, and no PGR, each grown under optimal (– 0.01 MPa) or suboptimal (– 0.8 MPa) SML. Both flurprimidol and mefluidide significantly affected ET rate, LER, and turfgrass quality, whereas the durations of the responses to both PGR treatments were affected by SML. For both SML, the durations of significant reduction in ET rate, LER, and turfgrass quality were longer for flurprimidol than for mefluidide. Application of either PGR at either SML caused a significant reduction in ET rate averaging 18% and a significant reduction in LER averaging 83%. Flurprimidol was more effective than metluidide in terms of ET rate and LER reduction. However, the considerably longer duration of reduced turfgrass quality of flurprimidol-treated turf was a negative effect. Chemical names used: α-(1 -methylethyl)- α -[4-trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-5-pyrimidinemethanol (flurprimidol) and N- [2,4-dimethyl-5-[[(trifluoromethyl) sulfonyl]amino]phenyI] acetamide (mefluidide).