Bermudagrass / Kentucky Bluegrass Mixtures for Sports Turf

By Tanner Delvalle, Pete Landschoot, Ph.D., and Mike Fidanza, Ph.D.

Mixtures of Kentucky bluegrass and cold-tolerant bermudagrass, sometimes referred to as “bluemuda,” have received interest from turf managers in the transition zone as a means of maintaining green turf in cold weather without overseeding. Preliminary research at several universities has demonstrated improved green color retention, traffic tolerance, and recovery from wear of bermudagrass/Kentucky bluegrass mixtures vs. bermudagrass alone. Although mixtures of cold-tolerant bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass appear to have potential for success in the transition zone, questions remain about performance in northern areas of the Mid-Atlantic region.

Field studies were initiated during June 2020 at two locations in Pennsylvania: the Center for the Agricultural Sciences and a Sustainable Environment at Penn State Berks Campus and the Valentine Turfgrass Research Center in University Park. The objectives of this research are to 1) develop methods of establishment and management of cold-tolerant bermudagrass/Kentucky bluegrass mixtures, 2) determine the fluctuations of bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass turf cover throughout the growing season and when subjected to simulated football-type wear, and 3) examine winter survival and injury of cold-tolerant bermudagrass in Pennsylvania. Establishment studies using Tahoma-31 bermudagrass (donated by Tuckahoe Turf Farms) and HGT Kentucky bluegrass are showing positive results with respect to bermudagrass establishment in plots of Kentucky bluegrass.