Avoiding Degradation of Road Shoulder Asphalt Due to Turfgrass Encroachment

摘要

Bermudagrass is widely used to stabilize road shoulders. However, the invasiverhizomes of bermudagrass often penetrate the asphalt causing severe deterioration. To avoid expensive and time-consuming repairs, herbicides are used to retard the growth of bermudagrass, but frequent applications are expensive and are subject to ever increasing regulations. To identify suitable alternatives to bermudagrass, the authors planted four turfgrasses adjacent to an asphalt road. They evaluated competitive ability, overall turf performance and changes in asphalt integrity. Both St. Augustinegrass and bermudagrass caused substantial deterioration of the asphalt. Buffalograss caused little or no asphalt deterioration, and was a very strong competitor in the roadside environment. Use of buffalograss instead of bermudagrass would not only save valuable time and resources, but would also avoid controversial input of chemicals into the environment.