shadows

By Dominic Petrella, University of Minnesota

Foliage (trees, shrubs, etc.) and structures (buildings, fences, etc.) can shade turfgrasses either by directly being over turf areas, or by casting shadows over the turf – both leading to poor turfgrass performance. As researchers, we try to classify how light changes under these areas to better understand how turfgrasses might respond, and to be able to breed better turfgrasses for shade. We collect data on spectral quality under trees, structures, and their shadows, then we can expose various germplasm to simulated shade to find the best plants.