The lists contained in the booklet and website are designed to enable users of Turfgrass Seed to evaluate the suitability of different cultivars for various amenity uses. Information for the major turfgrass species is presented in the form of numerical scores. In each column, larger numbers indicate a higher score for the relevant characteristic. For instance, cultivars with a score of 8.0 for shoot density would be expected to produce denser turf than those with a score of 7.0.
The only exception to this general rule is the rating for colour. On this scale higher numbers are darker green. These colour scores are descriptive, to help with colour matching when blending varieties in mixtures. They are not merit ratings and in this case larger numbers do not indicate a higher merit score.
Users should read the text regarding the selection of grasses for each table to determine which grasses best suit their particular needs. Cultivars of the major turfgrass species have been placed in order of suitability for particular uses. The characteristics that have been used to determine this ranking order have been shaded. Where more than one characteristic has been used, a mean has been calculated and added to the table. When calculated, this mean has been placed within the shaded area, to the right of the characteristics used in its calculation.
Cultivars at the top of each list may not be the best cultivars for every use. Users should identify which characteristics are most important for their intended use and then select cultivars accordingly.
The tables are numbered according to their applicability to different end uses, thus:
S Sports
L General lawn and landscaping
G Golf and bowling greens and other close mown situations
Seed of all cultivars named should be available in the UK this year but in smaller amounts where shown as LA (Limited Availability). The full names and addresses for the main seed suppliers representing grasses in the tables are presented in the Turfgrass Resources section. For grasses where no main agent is identified, users should contact BSPB for further information.
The tables also include the new cultivars that have been tested in only the most recent set of trials; the new cultivars are shown in bold. The scores for the new cultivars should be regarded with less certainty than the scores for the more established cultivars. Please note that ratings are not directly comparable among species and uses.
The information presented in the current Turfgrass Seeds booklet and website is from trials conducted at the STRI. As with any trial of living material, the performance of the cultivars may vary in commercial management.
