By Nicole P. Anderson and Brian C. Donovan, Oregon State University
Since the late 1940s, open-field burning has been used as a widespread practice in grass seed production in the Pacific Northwest. Post-harvest residue management is an important factor in several fine fescues, including creeping red fescue and Chewings fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass seed crops.
By Nicole Anderson and Brian Donovan, Oregon State University
Previous blog posts provided by Purdue University (Braun and Patton) and Oregon State University (Kowalewski et. al.) turf personnel have done an excellent job of describing fine fescue taxonomy and providing an overview of the characteristics associated with the five kinds of fine fescues, respectively. Discussions about fine fescues are often associated with their uses as low-input turfgrasses in homeowner lawns, public green spaces, and golf course fairways. As fine fescues draw more attention because of their low-input turf attributes, it is critical that a reliable and consistent supply of seed is available in the consumer marketplace.