RELATION BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT CARBOHYDRATES IN TALL FESCUE PLANTS UNDER SEVERE MOWING MANAGEMENT

With the aim to increase the knowledge about the carbohydrate reserves in a tall fescue turfgrass, the seasonal evolution of water-soluble carbohydrates was studied in a field experiment in NE Italy. Results showed that under the local environmental conditions the concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates in stubble and roots of a tall fescue turfgrass was high in winter and in summer when the plant growth rate is low. Moreover, the concentration of low molecular weight carbohydrates was almost always higher than that of high molecular weight.