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Agronomy
Special Issues
Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation
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Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Grassland and Pasture Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 4034

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefano Macolino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: turfgrass management; forage crops
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jason Kruse

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Horticulture Department, University of Florida, 1541 Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Interests: turfgrass management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cristina Pornaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: grassland management; meadows; pastures; turfgrasses; forage crops
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The management of turfgrass is undergoing significant changes aimed at increasing environmental sustainability. To assess turfgrass sustainability, we must consider its diverse roles across different types, including its uses in sports, ornamentation, and recreational spaces. Each category presents unique demands and environmental impacts, necessitating a comprehensive approach. The management of turfgrass must also address the challenges posed by climate change, necessitating a shift in cultural practices from those traditionally used.

Researchers are encouraged to respond to the growing need to limit turfgrass's environmental impact.  The upcoming advancements will mainly involve water conservation, precision agriculture, organic fertilizers, integrated pest management, biological weed control, and promoting biodiversity in turf ecosystems.

This Special Issue will provide an overview of the most relevant applied turfgrass studies, which focus on developing and spreading sustainable practices for maintaining healthy and attractive turfgrass while minimizing environmental damage.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Grasses.

Dr. Stefano Macolino
Dr. Jason Kruse
Dr. Cristina Pornaro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • turfgrass
  • forage crop
  • water conservation
  • management
  • integrated pest management
  • environmental stress

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1423 KB  
Article
Modeling the Relationship Between Autonomous Mower Trampling Activity and Turfgrass Green Cover Percentage
by Sofia Matilde Luglio, Christian Frasconi, Lorenzo Gagliardi, Mattia Fontani, Michele Raffaelli, Andrea Peruzzi, Marco Volterrani, Simone Magni and Marco Fontanelli
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2890; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122890 - 16 Dec 2025
Viewed by 149
Abstract
Autonomous mowers’ navigation pattern plays a crucial role in turfgrass quality, influencing both esthetic and functional performance. However, despite extensive research on mowing efficiency, the effects of different navigation patterns on turfgrass damage and visual quality remain inadequately investigated. This study aimed to [...] Read more.
Autonomous mowers’ navigation pattern plays a crucial role in turfgrass quality, influencing both esthetic and functional performance. However, despite extensive research on mowing efficiency, the effects of different navigation patterns on turfgrass damage and visual quality remain inadequately investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of three different autonomous mower navigation patterns (random, vertical, and chessboard) on operational performance and the effect of trampling activity on turfgrass. Each pattern was tested in terms of data on the number of passages, distance traveled (m), number of intersections and the percentage of area mowed using a remote sensing system and an updated custom-built software. Green coverage percentage was assessed weekly using image analysis (Canopeo app) to evaluate the turfgrass green coverage. The green coverage percentage, together with the number of passages, is analyzed and correlated. The random pattern generated the highest number of passages and intersections, leading to lower average green coverage (64%) compared with the chessboard (80%) and vertical (81%) patterns. Data of the green coverage percentage in the function of the average number of passages recorded using the custom-built software for each pattern fit the asymptotic regression model. The effective number of passages to reach 60% green cover (EP60) was 56.26, 87.30, and 155.32 for random, vertical, and chessboard, respectively. The model could be integrated into DSS, useful for the end user in turf management in order to maintain a high quality. Future studies should extend this approach to other species and environmental conditions, integrating the effective dose (in terms of passages) method for smart mowing management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation)
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28 pages, 3279 KB  
Article
Early Stress Resilience in Turfgrass: Comparative Germination and Seedling Responses of Lolium perenne L. and Poa pratensis L. Under Osmotic and Salt Stress
by Ligia Craciun, Rodolfo J. Bacharach Sánchez, Diana M. Mircea, Adrián Sapiña-Solano, Radu E. Sestras, Monica Boscaiu, Adriana F. Sestras and Oscar Vicente
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2719; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122719 - 26 Nov 2025
Viewed by 416
Abstract
Seed germination and early seedling development represent critical stages for turfgrass establishment under increasingly frequent drought and salinity constraints. This study evaluated the germination performance of three cultivars of Lolium perenne L. and three cultivars of Poa pratensis L. exposed to iso-osmotic drought [...] Read more.
Seed germination and early seedling development represent critical stages for turfgrass establishment under increasingly frequent drought and salinity constraints. This study evaluated the germination performance of three cultivars of Lolium perenne L. and three cultivars of Poa pratensis L. exposed to iso-osmotic drought stress simulated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and salt stress induced by NaCl. Germination percentage, mean germination time, germination index, seedling vigor index, and radicle and plumule elongation were quantified, and post-stress recovery tests assessed the reversibility of stress effects. Osmotic restriction imposed by PEG caused stronger inhibition of germination and seedling growth than NaCl at equivalent water potentials. L. perenne showed higher overall tolerance, maintaining faster emergence and greater seedling vigor across treatments, while P. pratensis was more sensitive but exhibited substantial germination recovery after stress removal. Cultivar-dependent variation was evident in both species, and multivariate analyses consistently differentiated tolerant and sensitive genotypes. The contrasting germination strategies, with rapid activation in L. perenne and delayed, recovery-oriented germination in P. pratensis, highlight species-specific adaptive responses to water and salt stress. These findings provide a physiological basis for selecting resilient turfgrass cultivars suited to drought- and salinity-prone environments, contributing to sustainable turfgrass establishment and management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation)
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Review

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34 pages, 768 KB  
Review
Synergistic Pest Management Strategies for Turfgrass: Sustainable Control of Insect Pests and Fungal Pathogens
by Luka Batistič and Stanislav Trdan
Agronomy 2025, 15(9), 2036; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15092036 - 25 Aug 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1715
Abstract
Turfgrass systems in European urban green spaces, including sports fields, golf courses, and residential lawns, must balance high performance with compliance with stricter pesticide regulations. This review examines Synergistic Pest Management (SPM), an advanced form of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that integrates monitoring, [...] Read more.
Turfgrass systems in European urban green spaces, including sports fields, golf courses, and residential lawns, must balance high performance with compliance with stricter pesticide regulations. This review examines Synergistic Pest Management (SPM), an advanced form of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that integrates monitoring, biological, cultural, and targeted chemical strategies for sustainable control of major turfgrass pests. Focus is placed on key insect pests such as Tipula spp. larvae and chafer beetle grubs (Scarabaeidae) and fungal pathogens, including Microdochium nivale, Clarireedia spp., Laetisaria fuciformis, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. avenae, and Colletotrichum spp., which cause significant losses in Central Europe and similar regions. Effective combinations include entomopathogenic nematodes with fungi, endophyte-infected cultivars with optimized mowing and irrigation, and low-dose insecticides paired with biological agents. The review considers how soil conditions, environmental timing, and maintenance practices influence success. Practical tools such as decision-support matrices and a seasonal calendar are provided for regional use. SPM can reduce chemical inputs, enhance biodiversity, and improve turf resilience, but adoption is limited by biological sensitivity, product availability, costs, and technical demands. SPM aligns with EU Directive 2009/128 and offers a pathway to sustainable turfgrass pest management. Future efforts should focus on regional validation, practitioner training, and precision technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation)
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Other

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10 pages, 1200 KB  
Brief Report
Canopy Performance and Root System Structure of New Genotypes of Zoysia spp. During Establishment Under Mediterranean Climate
by Diego Gómez de Barreda, Antonio Lidón, Óscar Alcantara, Cristina Pornaro and Stefano Macolino
Agronomy 2025, 15(7), 1617; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15071617 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1136
Abstract
In a hypothetical climate change scenario, zoysiagrass species could be a good choice for turfgrass areas due to their adaptation to heat conditions and the great variability in species and cultivars. Knowledge of the root system’s characteristics is paramount for predicting cultivar adaptation [...] Read more.
In a hypothetical climate change scenario, zoysiagrass species could be a good choice for turfgrass areas due to their adaptation to heat conditions and the great variability in species and cultivars. Knowledge of the root system’s characteristics is paramount for predicting cultivar adaptation to different heat–drought scenarios and therefore for designing proper turfgrass management programs, especially irrigation. A field experiment was conducted in the Mediterranean environment of Valencia (Spain) to study the root weight density (RWD), root length density (RLD), and average root diameter (RDI) at three different soil depths (0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm) of five new zoysiagrass genotypes (Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr., Zoysia japonica Steud., and their hybrid), relating these parameters to the performance of these experimental lines during their establishment. All the tested experimental lines had a higher RWD and RLD in the upper soil layer (0–5 cm), while the RDI was higher in the lowest layer of the sampled soil profile (0.269 mm compared with 0.249 mm and 0.241 mm in the upper layers). All the tested genotypes showed the same RWD and RLD, while the Zoysia matrella experimental line A showed a higher RDI value (0.2683 mm) than those for the Z. japonica (0.2369 mm) and the hybrid (0.2394 mm) genotypes. This last finding could have influenced its more rapid establishment, although it was not linked to its NDVI values during autumn. In conclusion, different morphological root characteristics were detected among new zoysiagrass genotypes and soil depths, which could have affected their canopy performance, and they are expected to affect irrigation management in a possible future drought scenario. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Turfgrass Management for Enhanced Sustainability and Conservation)
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