Effects of defoliation on the growth plasticity in stolon of centipedegrass

Effects of defoliation frequency on the growth plasticity in stolon of centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) planted as sprigs after transplantation were studied in southern Kyushu, Japan. Plants transplanted were defoliated at intervals of 10 (D10), 20 (D20), 30 (D30) and 60 (D60) days. Tuft coverage, stolon density, stolon diameter and branching angle significantly responded to defoliation frequency after transplantation onward, showing a response pattern of D30 >; D60 >; D20 >; D10 (P<;0.05). Intermediate defoliation (D30) contributed most to the regrowth of centipede grass with a high stolon density, nearly twice as much as that in D10. In spite of the small variations of both the diameter and branching angle among different treatments, the difference of these two among the treatments was significant after 60 days of transplanting (P<;0.05).