Chilly in Florida
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January 9, 2017
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In the last week, chilling injury has occurred on warm season turfgrasses as far south as South Florida (in some instances). Chilling is a low temperature stress that occurs in the absence of freezing. Chilling injury is most common on warm season turfgrasses like bermudagrass. The scenario for chilling injury is that it often occurs under sunny skies and warm temperatures followed by a rapid drop in temperature below 54 F at sunset. Injury symptoms appear as necrotic lesions or "bleached out" leaf blades from loss of chlorophyll. Chilling injury also results in a reduction in the photosynthetic rate and a stoppage in growth. Bermudagrass will often undergo a change in color with that arrival of cool temperatures that do not reach that of chilling. Symptoms can appear from the extreme camouflage pattern to a general off color.