light

Light reflection and mowing patterns

By Florence Sessoms

As a homeowner, I (my husband) mow our lawn regularly with the simple focus of keeping it at lower height. However, several of my neighbors love to create patterns every time they mow and these patterns can be as elegant as those observed in many sports fields. I love seeing these different stripes of grass color when I watch a soccer on TV, when I visit training facilities (Figure 1) and when I go watch our Minnesota United play (Figure 2).


What role does far-red light play when light intensity is high?

By Dominic Petrella

I am continually amazed by the impact that light has on turfgrass growth and development. We know that the quantity (intensity) of light impacts photosynthesis as well as alters overall growth and development, and we know that the quality or composition of light also alters gene expression, growth, and developmental responses in all plants.


Sunflecks on shaded turfgrass: Good, bad, or of no consequence?

By Dominic Petrella

When we think about turfgrass shaded by trees we as researchers often focus on reductions in light intensity, reductions in the red to far-red ratio (R/FR ratio) along with other changes in spectral quality, competition for water and mineral nutrients, and alterations to temperature compared to full sun environments. However, another challenge for turfgrass plants under shade is exposure to sunflecks.