Abstract

The field plot is a central feature of turfgrass research but there arise some fundamental questions regarding its use. Is the turfgrass field plot an efficient analog of the turfgrass community? Are the methods appropriate for extending decision making into urban ecosystmes? In contrast to many other areas of plant science, turfgrass objectives are multiple; there is no single yield criterion. The outputs from better grasses and better grass/management systems are not easily balanced on a ledger against the inputs. Nevertheless, a number of statistical analysis techniques appear to offer considerable promise in defining the relationship of turfgrass objectives to correlative observations. As yet, visual evaluation tools continue to offer untapped potential in making rapid, efficient selection decisions. The potential of physiological and other "objective" tools might better be realized after a subjective choice of turfgrass goals has been made. Statistical tools could be used more frequently in making risk-benefit choices, and in trying to assess the usefulness of the turfgrass field plot as a miniature, or partial representation of the real world. For some purposes the experimental field plot would be ignored and recommendations would be based on documented accomplichments from the turf community at-large.