Latest developments in bentgrass breeding – two very different bent varieties
Some golf courses seek the highest quality bentgrass variety in terms of establishment speed, density, capacity to withstand poa infestation and disease tolerance, especially pythium. These bents provide the highest quality putting surface due to their fine texture but have high maintenance requirements in thatch and nutrition management.
For other golf courses their prime requirement is for a bent that can best manage under more moderate maintenance inputs. They look for a good quality bent that manages stress, is less prone to thatch development and requires less inputs.
As a result, Living Turf has brought to the Australian turf market Oakley and AU Victory bentgrasses.
Oakley
Top performance for quality and density
High disease tolerance
Good drought tolerance
Additionally Oakley also has good drought tolerance which is important when Turf Managers need to “push” greens at times for firmness and pace.
| Density | % cover @ 60 days | Quality | Poa infestation % | |
| Oakley | 8.1 | 91.7 | 7.7 | 1.7 |
| Pure Distinction | 7.8 | 78.3 | 7.5 | 1.3 |
| 007 | 7.1 | 73.3 | 6.6 | 3.3 |
| 777 | 7.9 | 85 | 7.5 | 2.7 |
Oakley bentgrass at Yowani Country Club
Oakley bentgrass at Yowani Country Club
AU Victory
Known for its toughness
Lower maintenance
Deep, strong root mass
AU Victory is a very unique bentgrass. Terms like “tough love” and “survival of the fittest” are used about this bent variety. AU Victory was developed at Auburn University from a selection program looking for the toughest, lowest maintenance bentgrass that would perform as a quality putting green surface.
What sets AU Victory apart?
√ Prostrate growth habit
√ Lower thatch development
v Fast establishment & early resilience
√ Dollar Spot resistance at low nitrogen levels
√ Strong heat, drought and humidity tolerance
√ Colour retention under stress
Edzard van Santen, a professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University in Alabama, said:
“The big difference we see in AU Victory compared to other bentgrass varieties is root mass. It has many more roots, and they are deeper than in other cultivars. That’s the direct result of tough selection for drought resistance.”
The greens at McLemore in northwest Georgia feature AU Victory bentgrass, photo by Dave Sansom.
Which bent is best for you?
You could argue that varieties released in recent years are best suited to facilities with enough budget and staff to perform the tasks required to manage their tendency to producing high thatch.
Very simplistically then, if you have enough resources – Oakley is the way to go. In field performance is matching trial results placing Oakley as a premium bent for premium surface performance.
However, if resources are limiting and resilience, economic efficiency and environmental stewardship are most important to you then AU Victory stands above the rest.