• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2010

This study was conducted to examine the effects of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on the lateral stem growth, and the change of total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) status of 'Zenith' zoysiagrass under shaded conditions. Well-established turf was subjected to a full sun, 47%, and 77% shade in a field study. Three different rates of flurprimidol (FP: 0.2, 0.4, and $0.8\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$), paclobutrazol (PB: 0.16, 0.32, and $0.64\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$), and trinexapac-ethyl (TE: 0.04, 0.08, and $0.16\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$) were applied. Lateral development of 'Zenith' zoysiagrass decreased with increasing shade levels. However, compared with control plots, total stolon length and stolon number increased two fold at 0.2, $0.4\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ FP, and $0.16\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ PB under full sun. Under 77% shading, stolon number increased by 170% and total stolon length increased by 140% at $0.8\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ FP. Tiller number increased by 40% at $0.08\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ TE under full sun, and by 72% at $0.16\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ TE under 77% shading. The TNC contents of turfgrass treated with $0.8\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ FP and $0.16\;kg{\cdot}ha^{-1}$ TE increased by 50% as compared with control. Remarkably, nonstructural carbohydrates (NC) partitioning was enhanced by PGRs from leaf tissue to lateral stem tissue, which increased lateral development and may have contributed to recuperative rate. These results suggested that treatments of proper rate of PGRs could enhance the recuperative rate of 'Zenith' zoysiagrass by increasing lateral stem growth especially in shaded conditions.