IMPROVING WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF TURFGRASS AND ORNAMENTAL LANDSCAPES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1009734
• Project No.: UTA-01267
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2016
• Project End Date: Jun 30, 2020

Project Director
Kopp, K.

Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322

Performing Department
Plants, Soils & Climate

Non Technical Summary
The Intermountain West continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. In the state of Utah, for example, a 74% increase in population (from 2.1 to 3.7 million) is projected by the year 2030. This rapid population growth will precipitate a huge increase in future water demand and this demand will occur primarily in the municipal and industrial sector and will include residential use. In Utah, residential use comprises approximately 67% of per capita water consumption and nearly two-thirds of that consumption is applied as irrigation to amenity landscapes.Distinguishing minimum plant requirements from maximum, well-watered plant use complicates the development of landscape irrigation recommendations, useful to sustainable landscape stakeholders. Well-watered irrigation requirements for turfgrass species have been reasonably well characterized, for example, but minimum turfgrass water requirements have not.Ornamental plant irrigation requirements have also been determined for a number of landscape (tree, shrubs, herbaceous) plant classes under well-watered and water-limited conditions. However, these studies have evaluated a very small percentage of available landscape plant materials, which limits their applicability.Theoretical approaches to irrigation recommendations have suggested values grouped by plant type (tree, shrub, perennial, turf) or water use categorization (high, medium, low), each with factors to correct for climate, plant density, and water stress. However, empirical data is needed to validate the grouping of plants' minimum water needs by plant type, water use categorization, and various correction factors. Information gathered during the establishment period of a new landscape is also of value, particularly as short-term drought management strategies are evaluated.Utah State University (USU) Extension promotes best landscape management practices related to urban irrigation through resources such as the Lawn Watering Guides (http://extension.usu.edu) and approaches designed to guide landscape decision making. However, most research on irrigation system efficiencies is conducted by experts in controlled research settings. A need exists to conduct research focused on how irrigation systems perform in residential settings when maintained and operated by members of the general public, whose knowledge varies widely.Irrigation audits that evaluate irrigation system efficiencies are intended to promote efficient water use on existing landscapes, while maintaining aesthetic standards given the plant choices residents have made. Such audit programs provide end-users with customized information and give water providers the opportunity to support residents' efforts and promote water use change over time. Previous studies have found water audits to be an effective means for reducing water use while others have found that water checks did not achieve their full potential.In the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) service area, the USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program has shown that, on average, households that participate in an audit save 64,000 gallons of water annually, a savings that may be sustained in subsequent years. Enhancing the program by providing additional interventions such as system repair, installation of climate-based irrigation controllers, and ongoing digital information provision may further enhance these savings, though to what degree is unknown.Turfgrasses remain a common component of ornamental landscapes, fulfilling unique and and specific functions. However, over-irrigation of turfgrass areas is common and may lead not only to water waste, but also losses in plant health and vigor. Irrigation requirements for warm and cool-season turfgrass species have been reasonably well characterized, but minimum turfgrass water requirements have not.By promoting the conservation of water and nutrients in landscape management, the proposed research will also help to delay costly water development projects and protect existing water resources. The proposed research would also be a natural complement to current and ongoing research efforts in turfgrass breeding and genetics to provide improved native grasses for turf applications.

Animal Health Component

0%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
111	0210	2050	33%
102	2199	1020	33%
205	2199	1020	34%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
2199 - Ornamentals and turf, general/other; 0210 - Water resources;

Field Of Science
2050 - Hydrology; 1020 - Physiology;

Keywords

irrigation

plant water use

plant water requirement

ornamental plants

turfgrass

water conservation

smart technologies

irrigation controllers

landscape coefficients

Goals / Objectives
The proposed research will consist of efforts in three main areas. Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions.

Project Methods
Objective 1:This objective will determine plant water requirements, water use, and water balance of landscapes, differing in water use classification, under establishment and drought conditions. Plant performance and quality will be monitored on the same experimental units. By comparing the results to previous experiments under well-watered conditions, strategies for sustainable landscape management that both conserve water and maintain desirable quality levels in the landscapes will be identified. Nine, large-scale in landscape lysimeters have been installed in a 3 3, randomized complete block design at the Kaysville Farm and planted with integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes. Existing ornamental landscapes in the lysimeters will be removed and new plant materials will be established to replicate typical, residential landscape practices. The lysimeters will be established with plant materials of differing water use classifications (mesic, mixed, xeric) ranging from from conventional, higher water use plant species to native/adapted, lower water use plant species. The lysimeters are instrumented, metered, and plumbed to generate accurate water balances, and the hydrology of the entire system will be monitored (Sun et al., 2011).Stomatal conductance of ornamental plants falling into broadleaf evergreen, deciduous shrub, and herbaceous perennial classifications will be measured in a period leading up to as well as under imposed drought conditions using the steady state method (SC-1 Porometer, Decagon®, Pullman, WA). Infrared temperature measurements of the turfgrass areas will also be conducted (IR Temp Meter, Spectrum Technologies®, Inc., Plainfield, IL). Visual quality ratings of the turfgrasses and ornamental plants will be related to the stomatal conductance and temperature data.Objective 2:This objective will evaluate and compare different intervention strategies, in conjunction with the USU-developed, Slow the Flow® Water Check Program in the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities service area. The relative effectiveness of the interventions, in terms of existing program-related water savings, will be determined.Water checks will be delivered to 24 households in the SLCDPU service area. The experiment will test and document the relative influence of irrigation system repairs, irrigation system operation, and information provision on participant water use, which will be monitored in subsequent years. Potential water savings will then extrapolated across the SLCDPU service area. Objective 3:This objective will determine the minimum water requirements of commonly available turfgrass sod. Additionally, drought responses of promising varieties of Kentucky bluegrass will also be evaluated. Locally available sod will be established at the Greenville Farm and the amount of water required to keep the turfgrass green (acceptable level) and functional will be determined. Following establishment, plots will be hand-irrigated using an in-line flow meter with water quantity measured over time. Once established, irrigation will be withheld until plots have an average of 50% or less green cover. Irrigation will continue at 7 d intervals until greater than 50% green cover averaged across all replications of a treatment has been attained. Green cover will be quantified using Digital Image Analysis (Richardson, et al., 2003).A similar study of promising, experimental varieties of Kentucky bluegrass will also be conducted. The responses of varieties to acute drought stress will be evaluated using digital image analysis (DIA) techniques (Richardson et al., 2003) to quantify the percent green turf cover for each plot as drought becomes more severe. When all plots fall below 25% green turf cover, the experimental area will be saturated with 5.0 cm of irrigation to initiate drought recovery. Thereafter, the experimental area will be irrigated weekly with 2.5 cm water and recovery of entries from drought evaluated weekly using digital image analysis until plots reached 100% green cover.

Progress 07/01/16 to 06/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include federal and state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries. Ultimately, individual citizens will also benefit from the findings. Changes/Problems:In 2019, UAES funding for this project was decreased from $9500 to $6000. This was a significant decrease and occurred during an ongoing project. As a result, alternative funding sources had to be sought, particularly for Objective 1. The sudden retirement of a collaborator on Objective 2 slowed publication efforts related to that project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?International Extension Professional Development Program. University of the Philippines, Los Baños. March 3-15, 2020. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The status of Objective 1 was shared through a virtual field day presented by USU's Center for Water Efficient Landscaping in June 2020. Results of Objectives 2 and 3 were disseminated to state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries through presentations, workshops, and the USU Center for Water Efficient Landscaping virtual field day. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This project has concluded. However, work will continue toward the completion of related peer-reviewed publication and dissemination of project results.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project consisted of efforts in three main areas: Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with the Plant, Soil and Climate Department's landscape horticulturist on Objective 1 continued in 2020. New plant materials and soil moisture sensors have been installed and a graduate student assistant (Ph.D. level) has been hired on the project. The landscapes in the lysimeters are being established to replicate typical, residential landscape practices with plant materials of differing water use classifications (mesic, mixed, xeric) ranging from conventional, higher water use plant species to native/adapted, lower water use plant species. The lysimeters have also been instrumented, metered, and are being plumbed to generate accurate water balances, and the hydrology of the entire system will be monitored following the methods of Sun et al., 2011. Plant material installation was recently completed, and beta-testing of the sensor and irrigation control system is currently underway. Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. This objective has been completed and a publication was submitted to the Journal of the American Water Works Association with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada, Diana Wuenschell, and Ms. Stephanie Duer (Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities). The publication was rejected, however, and is being revised for submission to the Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education, which we feel may be a better fit for the work. Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. Data collection on water requirements of locally available sod products was completed in 2017 and an abstract and poster were presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America. A publication is currently being drafted with co-authors on the project and I anticipate submission in 2020. Collaboration with the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) will continue in 2020 with installation of a new tall fescue trial. Kentucky bluegrass trials with the Alliance for Low Input Sustainable Turfgrass (A-LIST) and Jacklin Seed, Inc. continued and will conclude in 2020.

Publications

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include federal and state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries. Ultimately, individual citizens will also benefit from the findings. Changes/Problems:In 2019, funding for this project was decreased by $3000. Bridge funding from the Plants, Soils & Climate Department helped to fill in the gap, as did funding from other sources. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of Objectives 2 and 3 were disseminated to state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries through presentations, workshops, and the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping field day. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with Dr. Youping Sun will continue on this objective. We are currently seeking additional funding and collaborators on the project and will complete installation of the new plant materials 2020. Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. A publication from this work is being revised for submission to the Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education. Evaluation of the program(s) will continue in 2020. Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. Data collection will continue for the A-LIST and Jacklin Seed, Inc. trials in 2020.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project consists of efforts in three main areas: Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with the Plant, Soil and Climate Department's landscape horticulturist on Objective 1 continued in 2019. Funds were secured for installation of new plant materials and soil moisture sensors and additional funds are being pursued for graduate student assistance and materials and operating costs. The landscapes are being established to replicate typical, residential landscape practices with plant materials of differing water use classifications (mesic, mixed, xeric) ranging from conventional, higher water use plant species to native/adapted, lower water use plant species. The lysimeters have been instrumented, metered, and plumbed to generate accurate water balances, and the hydrology of the entire system will be monitored following the methods of Sun et al., 2011. Some plant material installation was completed in the fall of 2019 and the remainder will be completed in the spring of 2020. Data collection will also begin in 2020. Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. This objective was completed in 2018 and a publication was submitted to the Journal of the American Water Works Association with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada, Diana Wuenschell, and Ms. Stephanie Duer (Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities). The publication was rejected, however, and we are revising for submission to the Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education, which we feel may be a better fit for the work. Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. Data collection on water requirements of locally available sod products was completed in 2017 and an abstract and poster were presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America. A publication is currently being drafted with co-authors on the project and I anticipate submission in 2020. Collaboration with the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) continued in 2019 and data collection and analysis was completed. Kentucky bluegrass trials with the Alliance for Low Input Sustainable Turfgrass (A-LIST) and Jacklin Seed, Inc. continued in 2019 and will continue through 2020.

Publications

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include federal and state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries. Ultimately, individual citizens will also benefit from the findings. Changes/Problems:This year my UAES funding was decreased from $9500 to $6000. This is a significant decrease and occurred in the middle of an ongoing project. I am uncertain how this will affect my ability to complete the project as described. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of Objectives 2 and 3 were disseminated to state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries through presentations, workshops, and the Center for Water Efficient Landscaping field day. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with Dr. Youping Sun will continue on this objective with visiting scientist, Yuxiang Wang, Ph.D., and a graduate student (we are currently recruiting). We will complete installation of the new plant materials and soil moisture sensor system and begin collecting data in 2019. Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. I will continue to work on publications related to Objective 2 with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada and Diana Wuenschell. I am also actively working with outside program funders to integrate new capabilities to the program and identify their program analysis needs. Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. Data collection was completed for the TWCA tall fescue trial and analysis of that data will be completed in 2019. Data collection will continue for the A-LIST and Jacklin Seed, Inc. trials in 2019.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project consists of efforts in three main areas: Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with the Plant, Soil and Climate Department's landscape horticulturist on Objective 1 began in 2017 and continued in 2018. Removal of the existing ornamental landscapes in the lysimeters was completed in 2018, and funds were secured for installation of new plant materials and soil moisture sensors. The landscapes will be established to replicate typical, residential landscape practices with plant materials of differing water use classifications (mesic, mixed, xeric) ranging from conventional, higher water use plant species to native/adapted, lower water use plant species. The lysimeters will be instrumented, metered, and plumbed to generate accurate water balances, and the hydrology of the entire system will be monitored following the methods of Sun et al., 2011. Data collection will begin in 2019. Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. This objective has been completed and a publication has been drafted for submission to the Journal of the American Water Works Association with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada, Diana Wuenschell, and Stephanie Duer (Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities). Ongoing work with the database associated with the Water Check program has greatly improved my capability for data mining and analysis and I am outlining additional research articles as a result. Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. Data collection on water requirements of locally available sod products was completed in 2017 and an abstract and poster were presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America. I anticipate submitting a research article for publication in 2019. Participation with the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) continued and data collection was analyzed for a two-year Kentucky bluegrass trial. A tall fescue turfgrass research trial, also in cooperation with TWCA, was also completed and analysis of the results will occur in 2019. Kentucky bluegrass trials with the Alliance for Low Input Sustainable Turfgrass (A-LIST) and Jacklin Seed, Inc. continued in 2018 and will continue through 2019.

Publications

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include federal and state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries. Ultimately, individual citizens will also benefit from the findings. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Li-COR 6800 (Portable Photosynthesis System) Training, December 18, 2017. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results of objectives 2 and 3 were disseminated to state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries through presentations and workshops. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with Dr. Youping Sun will continue on this objective and a graduate student and/or a visiting scientist will be identified to work on this objective. We will also complete installation of the new plant materials and soil moisture sensor system. 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. I will continue to work on publications related to Objective 2 with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada and Diana Wuenschell. 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. In 2018, data collection will continue for the TWCA tall fescue trial. Data collection will be initiated for the A-LIST and Jacklin Seed, Inc. trials.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project consists of efforts in three main areas: 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions. Collaboration with the Plant, Soil and Climate Department's landscape horticulturist on Objective 1 began in 2017. Removal of the existing ornamental landscapes in the lysimeters also began in 2017, along with planning for installation of new plant materials and soil moisture sensors. The landscapes will be established to replicate typical, residential landscape practices with plant materials of differing water use classifications (mesic, mixed, xeric) ranging from from conventional, higher water use plant species to native/adapted, lower water use plant species. The lysimeters will be instrumented, metered, and plumbed to generate accurate water balances, and the hydrology of the entire system will be monitored following the methods of Sun et al., 2011. Data collection will begin in 2018. 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. This objective has been completed and publications with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada and Diana Wuenschell are in preparation. 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. Data collection on water requirements of locally available sod products was completed in 2017. This data is now being analyzed and compiled for contribution to a larger, national effort along with associated publications. Participation with the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) continued and data collection was completed for one Kentucky bluegrass trial. A new tall fescue turfgrass research trial in cooperation with TWCA was also initiated. A new Kentucky bluegrass trial was initiated in cooperation with the Alliance for Low Input Sustainable Turfgrass (A-LIST). Another new Kentucky bluegrass trial was also initiated in cooperation with Jacklin Seed, Inc.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Kopp, K., Kjelgren, R. K., Urzagaste, P., Dai, X. (2017). Physiological and quality responses of turfgrass and ornamental plants to weather-based irrigation control. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal, 13, 1-10

Progress 07/01/16 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience Target audiences include federal and state water agencies, water purveyors, municipalities and members of the landscaping and irrigation industries. Ultimately, individual citizens will also benefit from the findings. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination The results of the stated objectives have not been disseminated at the time of this writing. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plan of Work A graduate student will be employed to accomplish Objective 1. I anticipate submitting a research article on the results of Objective 2 in 2017 along with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada and Diana Wuenschell. I will continue to collect a second year's data for Objective 3.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishments Regarding Objective 1) Evaluate water use, plant health and quality of integrated turfgrass and ornamental landscapes, differing only in plant material, under establishment conditions, additional funding has been secured to fund a graduate student to pursue this objective. At the time of this reporting, 2 graduate students have been interviewed and a third will visit in the spring of 2017. Regarding Objective 2) In combination with the existing, USU-developed Slow the Flow® Water Check Program, evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for increasing program water savings. At the time of this reporting, the data for this objective has been collected and statistical analyses have begun. I anticipate submitting a research article related to this objective in 2017 in collaboration with collaborators Dr. Joanna Endter-Wada and Diana Wuenschell. Regarding Objective 3) Evaluate water requirements of locally available turfgrass sod products as well as promising species and varieties of Kentucky bluegrass turf under drought conditions. At this time, the first year of data to meet this objective has been collected. Another year of data collection is required before analysis and reporting.

Publications