Research Update from PSU

Bluemuda Research Update

By Tanner Delvalle, Pete Landschoot, and Mike Fidanza

R esearch examining mixtures of Kentucky bluegrass and cold-tolerant hybrid bermudagrass, often referred to as “bluemuda,” for sports turf applications in Pennsylvania was initiated at Penn State University Park and Berks campuses in 2020. The bluemuda concept has been successfully implemented on some sports fields in transition zone states, but not in Pennsylvania. The advantage of mixing these two species is that bermudagrass grows rapidly during summer months and can tolerate hot, dry conditions better than cool-season grasses. Bermudagrass also tolerates traffic very well in summer months and can recuperate from wear and other types of injury relatively quickly. However, bermudagrass does not retain color or produce growth from midlate fall to early-mid spring in the Mid-Atlantic region, hence the need for a cool-season species in the mix.

Preliminary results of experiments revealed that ‘Tahoma-31’ bermudagrass sprigged in June of 2020 was very quick to establish, providing 100% cover in less than 5 weeks. When Tahoma-31 and ‘HGT’ Kentucky bluegrass were combined, seasonal changes in species composition occurred. In summer, bermudagrass dominated the stand, whereas in late September through October, a transition to primarily Kentucky bluegrass occurred, as bermudagrass became less competitive. Preliminary observations thus far indicate that stand uniformity and quality is improved when Kentucky bluegrass is seeded into existing bermudagrass during September, rather than sprigging bermudagrass into established Kentucky bluegrass in late spring. The use of growth covers resulted in earlier spring green-up of bermudagrass, with greater than 50% green cover in early April at the Penn State Berks campus near Reading. Even in the absence of growth covers, Tahoma-31 survived the winter of 2020 with no winterkill at either location. Additional experiments are being carried out in 2021.