ETHEPHON INDUCED CHANGES IN VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF TIFTON-85 BERMUDAGRASS

The establishment rate of warm-season turf and forage grasses propagat ed by sprigs or cuttings is of economic importance by determining not only how quickly an area may be utilized but also by influencing the e xtent of weed invasion, We monitored 'Tifton 85' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers,] vegetative growth response to the application of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), an ethylene-producing compou nd, and how this treatment affected subsequent vegetative establishmen t. Responses of established Tifton 85 plants to ethephon treatment whe n compared with untreated plants included a 22% reduction in plant hei ght, node swelling, bud swelling at the crown, terminal leaf necrosis, chlorotic striping of young developing leaves, and a 118% and 101% in crease in leaf/stem fresh and dry weight ratios, respectively. Swellin g of ethephon-induced buds appeared to be due to a transient arrest in sprouting, Swelled buds finally sprouted 9 d following ethephon treat ment, In glasshouse experiments. vegetative cuttings taken from etheph on treated plants produced 112% more roots under a range of water stre ss conditions 8 d after cutting removal, and produced 10-fold higher n umber of tillers at 6 d after planting in soil than untreated cuttings . Tiller production in the soil establishment study was not statistica lly different between ethephon treated and untreated plants after 21 d . These glasshouse results indicated that it mag be Feasible to develo p ethephon treatments that improve establishment rate and subsequent s tand quality of Tifton 85 bermudagrass in field/commercial application s.