Turfgrass Winterkill Observations from the Upper Great Plains: Desiccation and Cold Temperature

T HE winter of 2013–2014 was atypically harsh for many plants across the Great Plains region of the United States. Above average winds, large temperature swings, and minimal precipitation resulted in desiccation injury on many plants including many turfgrass stands. Lack of snow cover resulted in severe winterkill. Damage occurred throughout much of the state of Nebraska and southern South Dakota. Cool-season grasses such as creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) and roughstalk bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.) were severely impacted despite being considered two of the most cold tolerant turfgrass species (Beard, 1973). Turf on golf course tees, fairways, and putting greens was especially susceptible to injury. Precipitation from 1 Dec. 2013 to 31 Mar. 2014 was below the 30-year average for most of central and eastern Nebraska, southern South Dakota, and western Iowa. here were only six precipitation events greater than 0.05 inches and one occasion with more than 0.25 inches of precipitation at the Lincoln Airport in Lincoln, NE (Fig. 1). Total precipitation at that location was 1.21 inches compared to average precipitation of 2.50 inches during that same period. Wind speeds were also above average during that time period with 14 days of peak wind gusts greater than 40 miles per hour (MPH) and 7 days with peak wind gusts exceeding 50 MPH (Fig. 1). Air temperatures luctuated greatly during that winter. It was common for daily maximum air temperatures to be near 50 and 60°F before air temperatures declined sharply within 24 to 48 h (Fig. 1). January 2014 was particularly severe with less than 0.20 inches of precipitation, generally clear skies, strong winds, and air temperatures ranging from -8 to 66°F in Lincoln, NE. he excessively dry conditions caused large cracks to form in ine textured soils. Cracks were visible in some USGA sand-based putting greens, likely caused by contraction of the surrounding soil. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) are known to be intolerant of cold temperatures and were killed during the winter of 2013–2014. Winterkill of perennial ryegrass and annual bluegrass was Published in Applied Turfgrass Science DOI 10.2134/ATS-2014-0053-BR © 2014 American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711