HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Darrah, C. H. Articles by Powell, A. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Darrah, C. H., III Articles by Powell, A. J., Jr. Agricola Articles by Darrah, C. H. Articles by Powell, A. J.

Post-harvest Heating and Survival of Sod as Influenced by Pre-harvest and Harvest Management¹

Harvested turfgrass sod is a highly perishable commodity. Decline in quality and even death can occur if sod is not transplanted within a relatively short time. Respiratory heating is assumed to be the major deleterious effect occurring within the sod mass.

Simulated storage conditions were employed to study the post-harvest heating, carbohydrate response, and survival of a Kentucky bluegrass (Poa patensis L.) - red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) sod. Mowing height, nitrogen fertility, clipping residue, and mowing interval were preharvest techniques investigated. Time of harvest and cutting depth were evaluated as harvest techniques.

Sod which was 28C when placed into storage heated to 39C after 72 hours. During the storage period carbohydrates declined from 21.8 to 10.7%. Increased storage time resulted in significantly less top and root regrowth after transplanting. Low mowing heights, low nitrogen fertility, and clipping removal contributed to less heating during storage. Sod mowed at 7.6 cm heated to 46C after 72 hours of storage. Sod grown under low N fertility heated to 41C while high nitrogen sod heated to 44C after 72 hours of storage. Clipping removal vs. nonremoval accounted for a 4C differential in storage temperature after 48 hours. Mowing interval had no significant effect on storage temperature.

Early morning harvest resulted in the lowest storage temperatures and greatest survival. A temperature difference as great as 14C was measured between sod harvested at 0600 and 1500 hours. Decreasing the amount of soil between layers of sod contributed to higher temperatures during storage. Thin cut sod heated to 47C while sod cut to a depth of 1.9 cm heated to 38C after 72 hours.

The detrimental effects of high temperatures encountered during sod storage can be reduced. Lowest storage temperatures occurred when sod was harvested in early morning. Removal of active biomass from the sod stack was also an effective means of limiting storage temperatures. Treatments which contributed to the generation of more heat during storage suffered the greatest loss of live turf

Key Words: Turfgrass sod • Post-harvest physiology • Sod storage • Sod heating

² Assistant professor of agronomy, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742; former assistant professor of Agronomy, Univ. of Maryland (currently associate professor of Agronomy, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506).

Received for publication August 22, 1976.