Zoysia japonica

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Zoysia japonica
University of Georgia, Research and Education Garden grass 3.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Zoysia
Species:
Z. japonica
Binomial name
Zoysia japonica
Steud.

Zoysia japonica (commonly known as Korean lawngrass, [1] zoysia grass or Japanese lawngrass) is a species of creeping, mat-forming, short perennial grass that grows by both rhizomes and stolons. [2] [3] It is native to the coastal grasslands of southeast Asia and Indonesia. [4] The United States was first introduced to Z. japonica in 1895. It received its first import from the Chinese region of Manchuria. [3] Today, Z. japonica has become one of the most widely used species of turfgrass in the United States and other countries worldwide such as in Brazil, [5] serving as a close and cheaper alternative to bermudagrass. [6] [7]

Contents

Morphology/characteristics

Zoysia japonica has smooth, stiff, vertical leaf blades that roll in the bud. [6] [8] It grows to around 0.5 millimetres (3⁄128 in) in width, and is hairy near the base and exhibits short inflorescences. The pedicles grow to about 1.75 millimetres (9⁄128 in), while the ascending culm internodes measure to roughly 14 millimetres (35⁄64 in) long. [4] Z. japonica has a very coarse texture, compared to others of its genus. [3] Its high tolerance to drought, freezing temperatures, salt, and shade make for a favorable lawn grass. [3] [9] [6] An adventitious root system grounds the grass. [2] When exposed to prolonged drought, it easily adapts by developing deeper rooting systems. [10] Although it is tolerant to freezing temperatures, it does lose its bright green color, turning brown after frost. [9]

Genomics

Z. japonica is tetraploid. [11]

Climate and regions

Zoysia japonica needs a humid climate to survive. It does well in cool temperate zones, transition zones,  and warm temperate or marine zones. [12] It was originally cultivated in such climates in China, Japan, and Korea. [2] In the United States, it is cultivated south of Connecticut, along the Atlantic Coast, and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. In Australia, it is cultivated along the northeastern coastline. [8]

Cultivation

Although Z. japonica is one of the only Zoysia species that can be seeded, it has a lengthy germination rate of at least a month, so vegetative planting is the primary form of cultivation. [12] [9] Z. japonica seeds require a moist environment and a temperature of at least 70 °F (21 °C) to germinate, and therefore sod, sprigs, and plugs are less prohibitive methods of planting. [12] [9] Nevertheless, sod is sold at a steep price. [12] Although it can be planted at almost any time of year, late summer planting is discouraged. [12]

Carpet tile of 40 by 62.5 centimetres (16 in x 25 in) Emerald Grass.jpg
Carpet tile of 40 by 62.5 centimetres (16 in × 25 in)

Upkeep of Z. japonica varies based on uses, in general requiring a moderate level of nitrogen fertilizer to keep its density. Treatment should be planned for early spring or late fall. On average, it requires 1–1+1⁄2 inches (2.5–3.8 cm) of irrigation a week. [3] Experts suggest that it is mown to a height of 1⁄2–2+1⁄2 inches (1.3–6.4 cm) every 5–10 days. [6] Z. japonica is nearly resistant to disease, yet is subject to insect attack from white grubs. [3] One major problem with Z. japonica in recreational landscapes is its seeding in spring, which is aesthetically unacceptable requiring additional maintenance costs. [13] [14] Brosnan et al., 2012 suppresses seedhead development with imidazolinones without killing the grass, and Patton et al., 2018 achieves the same result with ethephon. [13] (Neither treatment has been tested or adapted for other Zoysia spp. however.) [13]

Cultivars

'El Toro' and 'Belair' are the newest cultivars of Z. japonica from the USDA. They are coarse, and have the ability to spread fast. [3]

Zoysia japonica 5.jpg

Other cultivars: [6]

Uses

Merignies golf green d'entrainement.gif

Zoysia japonica is most commonly used as turfgrass. It is often used on golf course fairways, teeing grounds, and roughs. It is also used for home lawns, parks, schoolyards, and athletic fields. Landscapers use Z. japonica as a buffer around flower beds or sand pits to keep invasive species out. [12]

Some accounts have it being used for horse pastures in Japan, and for Christian burial tombs in Korea. [2]

Zoysia japonica makes up a large part of sika deer diets. They graze on the seeds produced at the top of the grass. This has been widely observed on the island of Kinkasan in northeastern Japan. [15]

Related Research Articles

Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. It is the application of a combination of sciences such as biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, earth science, and genetics. Professionals of agronomy are termed agronomists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawn</span> Area of land planted with grasses and similar plants

A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawn mower and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes—it is also commonly referred to as part of a garden. Lawns are usually composed only of grass species, subject to weed and pest control, maintained in a green color, and are regularly mowed to ensure an acceptable length. Lawns are used around houses, apartments, commercial buildings and offices. Many city parks also have large lawn areas. In recreational contexts, the specialised names turf, parade, pitch, field or green may be used, depending on the sport and the continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sod</span> Upper layer of soil and grass

Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses.

<i>Oryza sativa</i> Species of plant

Oryza sativa, having the common name Asian cultivated rice, is the much more common of the two rice species cultivated as a cereal, the other species being O. glaberrima, African rice. It was first domesticated in the Yangtze River basin in China 13,500 to 8,200 years ago.

<i>Zoysia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Zoysia is a genus of creeping grasses widespread across much of Asia and Australia, as well as various islands in the Pacific. These species, commonly called zoysia or zoysiagrass, are found in coastal areas or grasslands. It is a popular choice for fairways and teeing areas at golf courses. The genus is named after the Slovenian botanist Karl von Zois (1756–1799).

<i>Paspalum notatum</i> Species of plant

Paspalum notatum, known commonly as bahiagrass, common bahia, and Pensacola bahia, is a tropical to subtropical perennial grass. It is known for its prominent V-shaped inflorescence consisting of two spike-like racemes containing multiple tiny spikelets, each about 2.8–3.5 millimetres (0.11–0.14 in) long.

<i>Poa annua</i> Species of plant

Poa annua, or annual meadow grass, is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Notwithstanding the reference to annual plant in its name, perennial bio-types do exist. This grass originated as a hybrid between Poa supina and Poa infirma. Major chromosomal rearrangements after polyploidy have contributed to variation in genome size in Poa annua.

<i>Bouteloua dactyloides</i> Western North American species of grass

Bouteloua dactyloides, commonly known as buffalograss or buffalo grass, is a North American prairie grass native to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It is a short grass found mainly on the High Plains and is co-dominant with blue grama over most of the shortgrass prairie. Buffalo grass in North America is not the same species of grass commonly known as "buffalo" in Australia.

<i>Zoysia matrella</i> Species of plant

Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr., commonly known as Manila grass, is a species of mat-forming, perennial grass native to temperate coastal southeastern Asia and northern Australasia, from southern Japan, Taiwan, and southern China south through Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to northern Australia, and west to the Cocos Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napa cabbage</span> Subspecies of flowering plant

Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas, and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as "Chinese cabbage". In Australia, it is sometimes referred to as "wombok".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aromatic rice</span> Type of rice

Aromatic rice is one of the major types of rice. It is a medium- to long-grained rice. It is known for its nutty aroma and taste, which is caused by the chemical compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. Varieties of aromatic rice include Ambemohar, Basmati, Jasmine, Sona Masuri, Texmati, Tulaipanji, Tulshimala, Wehani, Kalijira, Chinigura, Gobindobhog, Kali Mooch and wild Pecan rice. When cooked, the grains have a light and fluffy texture except for Gobindobhog rice which is sticky in texture.

<i>Veronica serpyllifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica serpyllifolia, the thyme-leaved speedwell or thymeleaf speedwell, is a perennial flowering plant in the plantain family. The species as a whole is native mostly to Eurasia & North America, and has three variants with their individual ranges; var. serpyllifolia has particularly spread beyond its native range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown patch</span> Fungal disease affecting turfgrasses

Brown patch is a common turfgrass fungal disease that is caused by species in the genus Rhizoctonia, usually Rhizoctonia solani. Brown patch can be found in all of the cool season turfgrasses found in the United States. Brown patch is most devastating to: Bentgrass, ryegrass, Annual bluegrass, and Tall fescue. Brown patch is also found in Kentucky bluegrass and Fine fescue but this is rare or does minimal damage. Brown patch is known as a foliar disease, so it does not have any effect on the crown or roots of the turf plant.

Pythiumdisease, also known as "Pythiumblight," "cottony blight," or "grease spot," is a highly destructive turfgrass disease caused by several different Pythium species. All naturally cultivated cool-season turfgrasses are susceptible to Pythium and if conditions are favorable to Pythium it can destroy a whole turfgrass stand in a few days or less. Pythium favors hot and very humid weather and will usually develop in low areas or swales in the turfgrass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European chafer</span> Species of beetle

The European chafer is a beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. Formerly found only in continental Europe, this invasive species is now found at temperate latitudes in North America. The large, white grubs of A. majale feed on the roots of most cool-latitude grasses, both wild and cultivated. This has made the European chafer an enemy of lawns.

<i>Paspalum vaginatum</i> Species of plant

Paspalum vaginatum is a species of grass known by many names, including seashore paspalum, biscuit grass, saltwater couch, silt grass, and swamp couch. It is native to the Americas, where it grows in tropical and subtropical regions. It is found throughout the other tropical areas of the world, where it is an introduced species and sometimes an invasive weed. It is also cultivated as a turfgrass in many places.

<i>Stachys floridana</i> Species of flowering plant

Stachys floridana is a species of betony in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the United States, where its true native range is probably limited to Florida, but today it is known throughout the Southeast as an introduced species and common weed. It occurs as far west as Texas, and it has been recorded in California. Its common names include Florida betony, Florida hedgenettle, and rattlesnake weed. It has been called wild artichoke, but it is not closely related to artichoke. The plant was the Florida Department of Agriculture's "Weed of the Month" for February 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multiplex (sensor)</span>

Multiplex sensor is a hand-held multiparametric optical sensor developed by Force-A. The sensor is a result of 15 years of research on plant autofluorescence conducted by the CNRS and University of Paris-Sud Orsay. It provides accurate and complete information on the physiological state of the crop, allowing real-time and non-destructive measurements of chlorophyll and polyphenols contents in leaves and fruits.

Necrotic ring spot is a common disease of turf caused by soil borne fungi that mainly infects roots (4). It is an important disease as it destroys the appearance of turfgrasses on park, playing fields and golf courses. Necrotic Ring Spot is caused by a fungal pathogen that is an ascomycete that produces ascospores in an ascocarp (6). They survive over winter, or any unfavorable condition as sclerotia. Most infection occurs in spring and fall when the temperature is about 13 to 28 °C (5). The primary hosts of this disease are cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and annual bluegrass (6). Once turf is infected with O. korrae, it kills turf roots and crowns. Symptoms of the disease are quite noticeable since they appear as large yellow ring-shaped patches of dead turf. Management of the disease is often uneasy and requires application of multiple controls. The disease can be controlled by many different kind of controls including chemicals and cultural.

<i>Zoysia tenuifolia</i> Species of grass

Zoysia tenuifolia is a type of grass originally thought to be one of the native grass type to the Mascarene Island. The epithet tenuifolia is commonly used to describe plant specimens in Mascarene Islands and Zoysia tenuifolia is also called Mascarene grass.Korean grass is another common name for this species. Z. tenuifolia is not widely used as a general lawn grass due to its slow growth rate and tendency to form clumps, although this species is commonly bred with Zoysia japonica to create popular hybrid zoysia cultivars, such as Emerald and Geo.

References

  1. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Zoysia japonica​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Casler, Michael D.; Duncan, Ronny R. (2003). Turfgrass Biology, Genetics, and Breeding. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 272, 273. ISBN   0471444103.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Duble, Richard L. (2001). Turfgrasses: Their Management and Use in the Southern Zone, Second Edition. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 61–66. ISBN   1585441619.
  4. 1 2 Casler, Michael D.; Duncan, Ronny R. (2003). Turfgrass Biology, Genetics, and Breeding. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 271, 274. ISBN   0471444103.
  5. ↑ Iwai, L.K. (Dec 20, 2016). "Emerald Grass characteristics, information, and curiosities" . Retrieved Feb 26, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Christians, Nick E.; Patton, Aaron J.; Law, Quincy D. (2016). Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management, 5th edition. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   978-1119205562.
  7. ↑ Garrett, Howard (2014). Organic Lawn Care: Growing Grass the Natural Way. University of Texas Press. ISBN   978-0292760622.
  8. 1 2 Aldous, David (2014). International Turf Management. Routledge. ISBN   978-1317844907.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Cai, Hongwei; Yamada, Toshihiko; Kole, Chittaranjan (2016). Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Forage Crops. CRC Press. pp. 158, 169. ISBN   978-1482208115.
  10. ↑ Pessarakli, Mohammad (2007). Handbook of Turfgrass Management and Physiology. CRC Press. p. 434. ISBN   978-1420006483.
  11. ↑ Kong, Weilong; Wang, Yibin; Zhang, Shengcheng; Yu, Jiaxin; Zhang, Xingtan (2023). "Recent Advances in Assembly of Plant Complex Genomes". Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics. 21 (3): 427–439. doi: 10.1016/j.gpb.2023.04.004 . PMC   10787022 . PMID   37100237. S2CID   258347261.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brede, Doug (2000). Turfgrass Maintenance Reduction Handbook: Sports, Lawns, and Golf. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 42, 45, 116–119. ISBN   1575041065.
  13. 1 2 3 Liu, Haibo; Pessarakli, Mohammad; Luo, Hong; Menchyk, Nick; Baldwin, Christian M.; Taylor, Derrick H. (2021). "Growth and Physiological Responses of Turfgrasses under Stressful Conditions". Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology (4 ed.). pp. 713–775. doi:10.1201/9781003093640-41. ISBN   9781003093640. S2CID   236345256.
  14. ↑ Chandra, Ambika; Genovesi, Anthony D.; Meeks, Meghyn; Wu, Ying; Engelke, Milt C.; Kenworthy, Kevin; Schwartz, Brian (2020). "Registration of 'DALZ 1308' zoysiagrass". Journal of Plant Registrations. 14 (1): 19–34. doi:10.1002/plr2.20016. S2CID   213803978.
  15. ↑ McCullough, Dale R.; Takatsuki, Seiki; Kaji, Koichi (2008). Sika Deer: Biology and Management of Native and Introduced Populations. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 165. ISBN   978-4431094296.
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