Cynodon dactylon
Green couch
Grand Prix (protected by Australian Plant Breeder's Rights and United States Plant Patent); DN12 (breeder code)
Grand Prix is a fine to medium textured green couch turfgrass that produces a high quality and high density turf sward (cover). Grand Prix produces few seed heads and is dark green in colour. The variety has thick underground rhizomes and possess excellent wear tolerance and recovery characteristics. It has been reported by many turf professionals to be prone to producing high levels of thatch, making it difficult to oversow with ryegrass, which is common practice for elite sports fields. However, for most community sports fields, thatch is non-existent, due to their ever increasing usage.
Ranked in the top 2 varieties trialled by the former Redlands Turf Research team for wear tolerance (Roche et. al, 2012). Thatch and turf denstiy is reported to be a problem by elite sports field turf managers for the purpose of oversowing with ryegrass. However, for a community sports field or venue that does not require oversowing, it is better for a club to be needing to remove thatch through mechanical means e.g. dethatching, verses needed to carry out turf replacement or field closures. In 2015, Grand Prix was planted on the course proper of the Townsville Racetrack where water is a high commodity and a change was required to move away from kikuyu grass. Returfing using Grand Prix was also undertken in late 2017 through to March 2018 at Eagle Farm Racecourse in a move away from kikuyu to couch on the course proper.
Pests, disease and weeds
Check to see which Pests, Diseases and or Weeds this turf variety may be susceptible to and how to successfully control them in your home lawn or sports turf.
