Selection of perennial grasses for lawn coverings in the taiga zone of Western Siberia

The aim of this study was to investigate a collection of perennial grasses (genera Poa, Festuca, Agrostis, Lolium) used for lawns in the taiga region. This article presents results from studying samples of 13 lawn grass varieties using standard methods applicable to Western Siberia. Experiments were conducted outdoors in northern Tomsk Oblast under extreme soil and climatic conditions typical of the area. Over four years of research (2015–2018), diverse meteorological conditions allowed us to assess the adaptability of collected material to adverse environmental factors. Selecting suitable grass species for use in the taiga primarily requires evaluating their winter hardiness and identifying adapted varieties capable of surviving harsh climate extremes. Winter hardiness was determined by counting surviving and dead plants after severe winters. To improve the quality of turf cover, we studied the morphological characteristics of the initial breeding stock. Variation in morphological traits was assessed based on specific features of vegetative and generative shoots in each variety tested. For assessing the aesthetic appearance of turf, we utilized the texture trait proposed by K.A. Khaseeva. Based on our findings, we recommend the following grass species for creating durable lawn covers in the taiga: meadow bluegrass (Poa pratensis), Siberian bluegrass (Poa sibirica), red fescue (Festuca rubra); additionally, mixtures of these three species are acceptable. Species that demonstrated high resistance to trampling and quick recovery after damage, as well as uniform regrowth post-mowing include one cultivar of meadow bluegrass, two wild forms of Siberian bluegrass, two cultivars each of white bentgrass (Agrostis alba) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis canina), fine-leaved bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis), two wild forms of broad-panicle bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), one cultivar of sheep’s fescue (Festuca ovina), one wild form of rigid-leafed fescue (Festuca rigida), and three numbers of red fescue (Festuca rubra).