Evaluation of low-temperature tolerance of zoysia grass.

Abstract

Low temperature is one of the main factors limiting the growth of zoysia grasses (Zoysia spp.). This study was conducted to assess the low-temperature tolerance of zoysia grasses, and especially to explore the low-temperature tolerance of different organs. The leaf LT 50 (temperature at which 50% of leaves die) of zoysia grasses tested ranged from −1.9°C to −10.4°C (CV 27.8%). The LT 50 of different species ranked as: Z. japonica (−6.68°C) stolon (−7.8°C) > rhizome (−8.4°C). There was a significant correlation between LT 50 values of different organs (P<0.05) suggesting that leaf LT 50 could be used an indicator of low-temperature tolerance of zoysia grasses.