Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
Home

Search form

  • Explore
  • Locations
  • Calendar
  • Directory
  • Publications
  • Give
  • About

Turfgrass Consumptive Use Values for the Phoenix Area

By:
Brown, Paul W.
Consumptive use (CU) curves that provide average rates of turfgrass evapotranspiration (ETT) are widely used by irrigation professionals for design and management of turfgrass irrigation systems. For approximately 35 years, the bermudagrass lawn CU curve developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (Erie et al., 1965; Erie et al., 1982) has served as the lone published CU curve for turfgrass in Arizona. While the USDA CU curve has proven useful to the turf industry, turf professionals do question whether ETT values obtained from the curve are relevant to turf systems commonly used in Arizona today. The USDA curve was developed for the summer turf season using a low-maintenance common bermudagrass mowed to a height of 3.8 cm (1.5") every four weeks, and watered every two weeks using flood irrigation (Garrot and Mancino, 1994). A relevant turf system today consists of hybrid bermudagrass maintained at a height of ~ 2 cm (0.75") and watered at frequent intervals using sprinkler irrigation. The practice of overseeding with ryegrass in the fall to maintain green cover in winter is also common today. The USDA CU curve does not address the issue of overseeding and provides no information on ETT for the period mid-October through mid-April.
PDF icon AZ1314
Keywords:
  • turf
  • Irrigation
  • Phoenix
Publication Date:
April 2003
AZ1314
Pages:
3 pp.

Thanks for your feedback

If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, please include your email address here.
If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, please include your email address here.
If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, please include your email address here.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
cals.arizona.edu
State Administration Office
1140 E South Campus Dr
PO Box 210036
Tucson, AZ 85721-0036
Call Us
  • Questions/Comments
  • Preguntas/Comentarios
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Employee Resources
  • Website Log In

Legal Disclaimer | University Privacy Statement | ADA/504 Compliance

© 2021 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.