Relative Traffic Tolerance of Warm-Season Grasses and Suitability for Grazing by Equine.

This research assesses the relative traffic tolerance of five warm-season turfgrass cultivars and one warm-season forage-type crabgrass to determine their suitability for grazing by horses. Additionally, the research investigates how these grasses can withstand heavy traffic, such as the trampling by hooves on equine farms.

Methodology

• The turfgrass cultivars of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass, alongside a forage-type crabgrass, were established by seed in monoculture plots. This was to analyse the effect of varying degrees of hoof-traffic on their growth and proliferation.
• A Baldree Traffic Simulator was used to replicate hoof traffic, with treatments ranging from no traffic to one or two passes of the simulator. This was done weekly for six weeks in the summers of 2016 and 2017, each followed by a rest period of four weeks.
• Variables such as biomass, soil compaction, and cultivar persistence were measured before and after the treatment and rest periods. The nutritional composition of the grasses was also evaluated throughout the growing seasons.

Results

• Soil compaction increased for all cultivars as the traffic treatment level increased, but this did not affect the persistence of the cultivars.
• In the first year of the study, the application of the low traffic treatment resulted in an increase in the biomass available for grazing.
• Both bermudagrass and zoysiagrass showed potential for use in regions of heavy hoof traffic on equine operations. Zoysiagrass, in particular, exhibited more suitability due to its high relative traffic tolerance, moderate yield, and low levels of nonstructural carbohydrates (less than 12% NSC).

Conclusion and Future Work

• The study suggests that both bermudagrass and zoysiagrass cultivars could be suitable for use in areas with high hoof traffic on equine farms. However, zoysiagrass demonstrated better traffic tolerance, making it a more preferable option.
• The researchers recommend further on-farm studies to determine the ideal stocking rate, management methods, and the persistence of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass under grazing conditions.