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Abstract
Carbohydrate content varied among cultivars of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) at 3 sampling dates during dormancy and greenup. Sucrose and starch decreased in rhizomes between March and May while reducing sugars remained constant. Concentration of stored carbohydrate was correlated positively with the number of rhizomes near the soil surface during winter and early spring. Spring deadspot injury ranged from 60% of the plot area for ‘KSU, (Kansas State University) T-5, to zero for ‘Royal Cape’, ‘Mich. C-53’, ‘Midway’ and ‘KSU D-17.’ Earliest to greenup in spring was ‘KSU T-3’ while ‘KSU T-5’, ‘F-4’, ‘Md. 23’, ‘24’ and ‘U-3’ were only 13-33% green on the same date. Injury was less severe where cultivars utilized carbohydrate and greened early in the spring. Early greenup was associated with thinner layers of thatch. There was no association between thickness or number of rhizomes and spring deadspot.