ABSTRACT
Establishment of cool season grass seedlings in sandy soils is difficult due to lack of sufficient water in the seed zone. Our objective was to quantify the root growth rate of two cultivars of each of six Festuca species in the greenhouse. Festuca cultivars differed in rooting depth, root elongation rates, root length density, root mass density, root area, shoot biomass, leaf area, leaf length, and leaf number. The deepest root system and greatest cumulative root elongation rates were observed for ‘Clemfine’ tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Visible root depth within the tube wall was significantly correlated with the root length observed after soil washing. The results of this study show that plants with aggressive root elongation rates had the deepest and best developed root and shoot systems.
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