Review Article

Salinity Tolerance Turfgrass: History and Prospects

Table 1

Estimated salt tolerance of common cool and warm season turfgrass [8, 56, 57].

Cool season turfgrassRatingWarm season turfgrassRating

Puccinellia spp. (Alkaligrass)TPaspalum notatum Flugge (Bahiagrass)MS
Poa annua L. (Blue grass)SCynodon dactylon (Bermuda “Tifdwarf”)MS
Lolium multiflorum (Annual ryegrass)MSCynodon dactylon (Bermuda “Satiri”)MT
Festuca rubra L. spp. (Chewing fescue)MSBouteloua gracilis (H.B.K) (Blue Grama)MT
Agrostis tenuis (Colonial bent grass)SBouteloua dactyloides Nutt. (Buffalo grass)MT
Agrostis palustris (Creeping bent grass)MSEremochloa ophiuroides (Centipedegrass) MunroS
Festuca rubra L. spp. rubra (Creeping red fescue)MTPaspalum vaginatum (Seashore paspalum)T
Agropyron cristatum (Fairway wheat grass)MSStenotaphrum secundatum (St. Augustine)T
Festuca longifolia Thuill. (Hard fescue)MTZoysia japonica (Japanese lawn grass)T
Poa pratensis L. Kentucy (Blue grass)MSZoysia matrella (Manila grass)MT
Lloium perenne L. (Perennial rye grass)SZoysia tenuifolia (Korean grass)MS
Festuca arndinacea Schreb. (Tall fescue)MTDigitaria didactyla Wild (Serangoongrass)MT

The rating is based on soil salt test levels, sensitive <3 dS m−1, moderate sensitive 3–6 dS m−1, moderate tolerant 6–10 dS m−1, and tolerant >10 dS m−1.