Abstract
Seashore paspalum is a turfgrass with increasing importance around the world, It grows in tropical areas on golf courses in Asia, South Africa, South America. Hawaii, and in the United States. It has the highest salt tolerance of all turfgrasses and can be watered with ocean water in places where rainfall is sufficient to prevent buildup of salts in the soil. Paspalum will also tolerate continuous irrigation with effluent or recycled water. Under these conditions it maintains high shoot densities and is competitive against weeds. There are very few pests to invade paspalum and pesticides in general are not necessary. In addition paspalum tolerates moderate shade and drought, can handle a larger range of pH than other grasses and also requires much less water and nitrogen. It can be mown at heights as low as bermudagrass, and is compatible with cool season grasses used to overseed during winter.
Seashore paspalum produces little viable seed, and therefore must be propagated vegetatively by using stolons, rhizomes, or sod. Unfortunately paspalum can be injured by most of the post-emergence herbicides available on the market. Another negative characteristic is its low cold tolerance. In tropical and sub-tropical areas it will stay green year round but it will go dormant in places where temperature drops below 12-13°C for a period of two weeks or more. Paspalum does not tolerate scalping. If accidentally scalped, it usually takes several weeks to recover.
There are several varieties of Paspalum on the market. Some have wide blades, almost like St. Augustinegrass, while others are more similar to common bermudagrass. More cultivars are still needed for putting greens, but for tees, fairways and roughs there are already adequate cultivars to choose from.
