Color Response of Turfgrass Cultivars to Gibberellic Acid under Mediterranean Climate Conditions

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are broadly used in turfgrass management. Gibberellic acid is also applied in many plants due to its positive effects on plant growth and development. However, some studies have indicated that these applications may have a negative effect on color. The study aimed to find out the effect of different doses of gibberellic acid applications on visual quality in different turfgrass species. Gibberellic acid was applied as control, 0.05 and 0.1 kg ha-1. Among the turfgrass species, twenty different cultivars of 4 different species were used as material in the experiment. Visual quality was assessed using a visual rating system. Color quality was examined using a spectrophotometer. In general, the use of gibberellic acid had negative effects on visual quality. Although there are studies showing that it increases resistance to stress conditions, visual quality is very important for turfgrasses. It was observed that grass species have different responses to gibberellic acid.