THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF COLOR PARAMETERS IN TURFGRASS - THE BASIS OF A MODEL FOR TURFGRASS COLOR DESCRIPTION

It is desirable to describe objectively turfgrass colour as if relates to aspects of turf quality and user preference. Colour can be describ ed in terms of several numerical parameters. In the present study, a M inolta CR310 Chroma meter was used to measure colour parameters of gra ss clippings samples taken from plots of 27 newly sown turf-type Loliu m perenne L. (Perennial ryegrass) varieties at daily intervals as leav es senesced. Correlation coefficients between five colour parameters w ere calculated for each day. Similarly, correlations between the param eters were calculated using direct turf surface measurements for six v arieties grown in turf plots over a fourteen monthly period at two con trasting fertilizer regimes. The colour parameter b was highly correl ated with L (Value) and C* (Chroma) but lack of correlation at all ti mes with H-o (Hue angle) demonstrated that b scores cannot be used to describe turf greenness. H-o would be required as a second component in any turfgrass colour description. Reduction of colour description t o two numerical parameters, b and H-o is possible in turfgrass and th ese parameters could be used Mot only for describing turfgrass colour per se but also colour change due to varietal differences, changing en vironmental conditions and the interaction of these variables.