Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) History, Utilization, and Improvement in the United States: A Review

By A. Patton, B. Schwartz, K. Kenworthy. 2017

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Since its introduction into the United States in 1892, zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp. Willd.) has made a tremendous impact on the US turfgrass industry. Three species of zoysiagrass [Z. japonica Steud., Z. matrella (L.) Merr., and Z. pacifica (Goudswaard) M. Hotta & S. Kuroki] collected from East Asia and the Pacific Islands were introduced into the United States and are used directly as turf or by turfgrass breeders in the development of advanced lines. Golf courses, lawns, grounds, sod farms, athletic fields, roadsides, and airports are some of the many locations where zoysiagrass is used. While almost 50 improved cultivars of zoysiagrass have been developed to date, active efforts to improve zoysiagrass further and expand its utilization are ongoing. These continued improvements in stress and pest tolerance allow for expanded use of this low-input turf species. This review summarizes the history of zoysiagrass in the United States; summarizes species introduction and utilization; addresses and discusses strengths and shortcomings of the species; evaluates breeding history, methodology, and challenges; and suggests future prospects and potential for zoysiagrass. A.J. Patton, Dep. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue Univ., 625 Agriculture Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907; B.M. Schwartz, Dep. of Crop & Soil Sciences, Univ. of Georgia, 2360 Rainwater Rd., Tifton, GA 31793; K.E. Kenworthy, Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Florida, PO Box 110500, Gainesville, FL 32611. Received 3 Feb. 2017. Accepted 17 May 2017. *Corresponding author (ajpatton@ purdue.edu). Assigned to Associate Editor Jack Fry. Abbreviations: ET, evapotranspiration; FAW, fall armyworm; FAES, Florida Agriculture Experiment Station; GRIN, Germplasm Resources Information Network; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; NIFA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; SCRI, Specialty Crop Research Initiative; TSW, tropical sod webworm; USGA, United States Golf Association. Published in Crop Sci. 57:S-37–S-72 (2017). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2017.02.0074 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 1 The genus Zoysia was named after Karl Von Zois (Karl von Zois zu Laibach, 1756–1800) by Carl Ludwig von Willdenow (Nightingale and Weiller, 2005). 2 Willd. is short for Willdenow (Carl Ludwig von Willdenow, 1765–1812), who was a leading German botanist (von Humboldt, 1996). 3 Zoysia macrantha Desvaux (Layt, 2009), Z. macrostachya Franchet & Savatier (LeCroy, 1963), Z. sinica Hance (Engelke et al., 1983) were also introduced into the United States, but their production and use by breeders in improvement programs is limited. 4 Steud. is short for Steudel (Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel, 1783–1856), who was a German physician and botanist with a specialization in grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae) (Erickson, n.d.). 5 L. is short for Linnaeus (Carl Linnaeus or Carl von Linné, 1707–1778), who was the Swedish botanist who formalized binomial nomenclature (Stearn, 1959). 6 Merr. is short for Merrill. Elmer Drew Merrill (1876–1956) was an American botanist stationed in Manila, Philippines, for 22 yr who was a renowned authority on the flora of the Asia-Pacific region (Merrill, 1912). Merrill was involved in several botanical societies in different roles and was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Robbins, 1958). Published August 16, 2017

Subfields: Environmental Chemistry, Plant Science

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