Kentucky Bluegrass

Kentucky bluegrass is a versatile cool season perennial grass that adapts to a wide range of soil pH, soil texture, and microclimate within temperate climate zone. The ideal growing conditions are well-drained fertile soil with medium texture, and humid temperate regions. Kentucky bluegrass can tolerate soil pH from 5.4 to 7.3, however, studies carried in Central Oregon indicated optimal performance when soil pH is between 6.2 -6.8 (Butler 2002). Kentucky bluegrass has low tolerance for saline soil and drought, but will tolerate flooding and low winter temperature (Barnes 2003).
Management practice for Kentucky bluegrass varies across different areas of production. In Eastern Oregon there are three main areas of production, central Oregon,
In the Grande Ronde Valley seeds are planted in late April to late May. In the Columbia Basin and Central Oregon seeds are planted in August to September. All seeds are harvested one calendar year after planting (2011). The harvesting Method is similar to the method used for other grass seed. This includes “swathing the crop into windrow and allowing it to dry a few days before threshing (Copeland, 2001). According to Affeldt R.P et al, Kentucky bluegrass seed yield for eastern Oregon is between 800 to 1,600lb/acre of clean seeds. The profitability of Kentucky bluegrass seed production is analyzed in the Enterprise budge created by Oregon State University extension services for central Oregon. The Enterprise budget includes total, fix, variable cost, income, return on cost per acre, and a detail breakdown of machineries use per hour. This budget helps growers to understand the cost associated to the production of Kentucky
The most common diseases affecting Kentucky bluegrass are powdery mildew, Erysiphe graminis, stripe rust, puccinia striiformis, and ergot, Claviceps purpurea. Powdery mildew is favored by humid cool weather, shaded area, and poor air circulation (http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r785101511.html). The Stripe rust, appears in late spring and is favored by humid condition with temperature between 70 and 75F, and Ergot affects the flowers of the plant by replacing the seed with sclerotia (Butlers2002). The most common pest in Kentucky bluegrass fields is grain mite, Penthaleus major, Sod webworm, Chrysoteuchia topiaria, thrips, Thripidae, and aphids, Aphididae. Proper insect pest management system is needed to keep insect population at a low