Abstract: A novel turf traffic simulator was developed in the present research to emulate traffic effects caused by players in football games. A field traffic experiment tested 20 turfgrass varieties and lines from the genera Cynodon, Paspalum, Zoysia and Eremochloa and the simulator was used to evaluate tolerance. After trampling, it was found that Zoysia and Eremochloa material retained better ground cover, turf color and root biomass than Cynodon and Paspalum. A total of 8 turfgrass varieties were selected from the 4 genera for further study. It was found that traffic tolerance of Tifgreen, Paspalum vaginatum cv. Sea Isle, Zoysia japonica cv. Lanyin No. 3 and Eremochloa ophiuroides cv. Huanan were superior to other varieties of the same genus. Among these four varieties, the only significant difference in leaf cellulose content observed was between Z. japonica cv. Lanyin No. 3 and Z. japonica cv. Qingdao (P<0.05), while lignin content showed no significant difference among the materials (P>0.05). The factors that enhanced the traffic tolerance in Z. japonica cv. Lanyin No. 3 and E. ophiuroides cv. Huanan were closely arranged cells, a thicker and continuous cuticle, more vesicular cells and a higher level of lignification. In Cynodon dactylon cultivars and P. vaginatum cv. Salam, a thin or absent cuticle, a lower level of lignification and fewer bulliform cells were associated with reduced traffic tolerance. Principal component analysis showed that ground cover, turf color and root biomass could be used as effective indicators in the evaluation of cultivar traffic tolerance. The results of this study will provide a methodology for the incorporation of testing for traffic tolerance in the development and utilization of warm-season turfgrass species.

Key words: traffic simulator, traffic tolerance, turfgrass