Poa Annua: Physiology, Culture and Control of Annual Bluegrass

 

If there is one turf species that polarises opinion more than any other it is Poa annua. Classed by many as a weed despite its ability to not only effectively co-exist with other turf species but form a uniform and desirable surface for putting greens, Poa annua would rate as one of the most discussed species in sheds, lecture halls and conference halls the world over.

‘Poa Annua: Physiology, Culture and Control of Annual Bluegrass’, an offering from two well respected American authors J.M Vargas jnr and A.J Turgeon, examines Poa annua as both a weed and a desirable turfgrass species. Billed by the authors as the most comprehensive guide to controlling and cultivating annual bluegrass, the book contains a wealth of practical information for controlling and maintaining healthy growth of this diverse species while also detailing the anatomy, morphology and physiology of the species.

Following the general introductory chapter which looks at taxonomy and genetics, Turgeon and Vargas go on to cover physiology, how to effectively sustain annual bluegrass turfgrass communities and finally outline procedures for the effective control of annual bluegrass in mixed stands with other turf species. Three separate appendices deal with herbicides, fungicides and insecticides used on annual bluegrass turf while there are a host of diagrams and illustrations in each chapter.

Vargas and Turgeon are prolific authors within the United States turfgrass community with the former a professor of plant pathology at Michigan State University who has penned more than 200 papers and the most widely used textbook on turfgrass diseases. Turgeon is professor of turfgrass management in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Penn State University and has written numerous papers and books including Turfgrass Management which was reviewed in Australian Turfgrass Management magazine in Volume 7.1 (February-March 2005).