`Tift 94` Bermudagrass
Tift 94 is a vigorous triploid (2n=3x=27 chromosomes) which has use on golf course fairways and tees, athletic fields, lawns, commercial landscape sites, and other turf areas where a fine-textured, low growing turf is desired. The grass produces less upright growth and has shorter and narrower leaves, and shorter internodes than Midiron from which it was developed and Tifway, two commercially available cultivars. It produces more shoots per node than Midiron. It has better color and turf quality than Midiron.
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Bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. is a warm-season perennial sod-forming grass that spreads by stolons and rhizomes. Bermudagrass probably originated from Africa and South and Southeast Asia but it has been introduced to all tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
The species has been observed to survive at 50.degree. N in Europe and to 4000 m elevation in the Himalayas. It is also found on islands in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Roots and rhizomes of this species can penetrate the soil to a depth of 1 m or more. A large amount of morphological variability exists in this species.
Both common and triploid hybrid types are used for turf. Common types have 2n=18 or 36 chromosomes and produce seeds. Triploid hybrids have 2n=3x=27 chromosomes and are male and female sterile. Both can be propagated by stolons and/or rhizomes. Only common bermudagrass types can be propagated by seeds.
Bermudagrass can be used to produce an attractive wear-resistant turf if managed properly. Midiron is a medium coarse 2n=3x=27 chromosome hybrid released by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station in 1971 for use in USDA plant hardiness zone 6 (USDA Agricultural Handbook 170). It is reported to be an interspecific cross between a C. dactylon selection (used as female) from N. Platte, Nebr. and Ugandagrass (C. transvaalensis) as male. Tifway is a fine 2n=3x=27 chromosome hybrid released by the USDA-ARS and the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station in 1960. Tifway is adapted to USDA plant hardiness zones 7, 8, 9 and 10 and similar areas around the world. Tifway is planted on a larger area around the world than any other improved triploid turf bermudagrass because of its dark green color, fineness, wear-resistance and persistence. However, Tifway does not survive reliably in USDA plant hardiness zone 6 and in the northern half of zone 7. Midiron is much coarser than Tifway and does not produce as high quality turf.
The popularity of Tifway produces a potential genetic vulnerability problem in that a single vegetatively propagated genotype is planted over a large area. Development of genetically different fine-textured genotypes would lessen the threat of the industry having a suitable grass to plant if one genotype suddenly became susceptible to a pest.
It was anticipated that Tifway 2 (released in 1991) would become a more popular cultivar to plant than Tifway. However, Tifway continues to be the most popular cultivar for fairways, tees, athletic fields, lawns and recreational areas because it performs as well or better than Tifway 2 under most circumstances.
Mutagens have been used to induce dwarfness in numerous crops. An induced fine-textured mutant in Midiron would combine winterhardiness and high turf quality in another genotype.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHSFIG. 1 is a photograph of 40 day old stolon growth of Tift 94 and Midiron (the commercial cultivar from which Tift 94 was developed) showing the fine texture due to shorter and narrower leaves and shorter internodes of Tift 94.
FIG. 2 is a photograph of thirty-two day shoot growth from 10 cm sod plugs of Tift 94, Midiron and Tifway in the greenhouse showing the shorter shoot growth of Tift 94 and the higher density of shoots from Tift 94 compared to Midiron.
FIG. 3 is a photograph of Tift 94 mowed at 12 mm three times per week showing the dense high quality turf produced by this cultivar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTift 94 is a vigorous triploid (2n=3x=27 chromosomes) which has use on golf course fairways and tees, athletic fields, lawns, commercial landscape sites, and other turf areas where a fine-textured, low growing turf is desired. The grass produces less upright growth and has shorter and narrower leaves, and shorter internodes than Midiron from which it was developed and Tifway, two commercially available cultivars. It produces more shoots per node than Midiron. It has better color and turf quality than Midiron.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANTBermudagrass Tift 94 is a fine-textured mutant selected from plants established from dormant stolons of the Midiron cultivar of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers..times.C. transvaalensis Butt-Davy treated with 8000 rads of Cobalt 60 gamma radiation on Jan. 20, 1983. Dormant stolons of Midiron were obtained from Ralph White of Southern Turf Nursery. Radiation treated stolons were planted in steam-sterilized soil in flats in the greenhouse immediately after treatment. Sixty-six fine-textured mutants or sectors were selected on stolons, separated from the stolon and individually propagated. Tift 94 was one of the 66 single plant selections and was tested as MI40 in tests in Tifton, Ga.; Stillwater, Okla.; Lexington, Ky.; and Lake Wales, Fla.; Ft. Bluff, Tenn. and Lincoln, Nebr.
Tift 94 is a finer-textured mutant induced with radiation in the Midiron cultivar of bermudagrass. It has 2n=3x=27 chromosomes like Midiron. Initially at Tifton, Ga., `Tift 94` has been vegetatively propagated by shoots, stolons or rhizomes through plugging, sprigging and sodding. Tift 94 is a single genotype that produces a uniform turf. It has been propagated true-to-type from 1983 to 1995.
Tift 94 has been evaluated in 12 experiments at six locations. In all experiments except at Stillwater, Okla., the Bermudagrass entries were replicated and the data analyzed statistically. Significant refers to the P=0.05 probability level.
After eight years of mowing three times per week at a 25 mm height, Tift 94 produced significantly better quality turf (8 on scale where 9 is best) than Midiron (5.8) under medium fertility and management. In another test, mowed three times per week at 12 mm for six years, Tift 94 averaged an 8.4 turf quality rating while Midiron was rated 2.6. The fine-textured characteristics of Tift 94 allows it to produce better quality turf under close (12 mm and 25 mm) and frequent cutting. Compared to Tifway and Tifway 2, Tift 94 had similar or slightly higher turf quality ratings.
Based on color ratings, Tift 94 was significantly greener than Midiron in April, November, December and January. Tift 94 began growing (greenup) earlier than Midiron in 1993 but not in 1991. Color ratings for Tift 94, Tifway and Tifway 2 are similar.
In the fall of 1993, Tift 94 plots had fewer mole crickets than most of the major commercial turf cultivars. No differences were observed in mole cricket ratings. between Tift 94 and Tifway in 1995; both showed low (0.5) infestation on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 5 is severe).
Tift 94 has produced good quality turf as far north as Lexington, Ky.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Ft. Bluff, Tenn. and as far south as Lake Wales, Fla. Tift 94 was the only one of six midiron mutants planted at Lincoln, Nebr. that survived the 1990-91 winter.
Tift 94 establishes at about the same rate as Tifway and Tifway 2.
Shoot growth (thirty-two days) from 10 cm plugs growing in the greenhouse in October was 10.7 cm tall for Tift 94 and 20.6 cm and 14.9 cm for Midiron and Tifway, respectively. Leaf length was shorter (5.6 cm) for Tift 94 compared to 10.7 cm for Midiron and 7.0 cm for Tifway. Leaves of Tift 94 were narrower (1.2 mm) compared to 2.2 mm for Midiron and 1.4 mm for Tifway. More than five times as many shoots were produced from a 10 cm plug of Tift 94 (475) compared to 87 for Midiron.
In a three year old sod mowed weekly at 3 cm, internode lengths of horizontal stolons and vertical shoots were shorter for Tift 94 (1.2 cm and 0.6 cm, respectively) than for Midiron (2.5 cm and 1.0 cm) and Tifway (1.5 cm and 0.8 cm). Tift 94 also had shorter and narrower leaves (1.5 cm and 1.2 mm, respectively) than Midiron (2.0 cm and 1.9 m/m) and Tifway (1.6 cm and 1.2 mm).
Internode length of stolons in a juvenile growth stage on 40 day old plants in the field were in general similar for Tifton 94, Midiron and Tifway. The fourth and fifth internodes were shorter for Tift 94 and Midiron (22 or 23 mm) compared to Tifway (26 mm). Shoot numbers per node were similar for Tift 94 (1.2 to 2.7) and Tifway (1.2 to 2.6) but higher than for Midiron (1.0 to 1.5). Leaf length of Tift 94 was shorter (1.4 cm) than that of Midiron (1.9 cm) and Tifway (1.7 cm). Leaf width was the same for Tift 94 and Tifway (1.7 mm) but narrower than Midiron (2.3 mm).
TABLE 1
______________________________________
1991 ratings.sup..dagger. on turf bermudagrass (Midiron
mutants) established 8-25-83 at Tifton, GA.sup..dagger-dbl..
Quality
Cultivar.sup..dagger-dbl.
8/14 10/6
______________________________________
Tift 94 8.0 8.0
Midiron 6.0 5.5
LSD (.05) 1.6 1.6
______________________________________
.sup..dagger. Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best
.sup..dagger-dbl. The best of 66 entries in the test. Plots were cut 3x
each week at 25 mm from 1984 to 1991 and received 560 kg/ha 510-15 and 10
kg/ha N in March of each year. Plots were watered to prevent moisture
stress.
TABLE 2
______________________________________
Ratings.sup..dagger. on bermudagrass cultivars established 6-26-87
at Tifton, GA.sup..dagger-dbl..
______________________________________
1991 Ratings
Quality
Cultivar 5/31 7/13 8/14 10/6 11/5 x
______________________________________
Tift 94 8.0 7.5 7.0 8.5 9.0 8.0
(Tifway).sup.
(7.5) (6.5)
(7.5) (7.5)
(7.3)
Tifway 2 8.0 5.5 6.5 7.5 7.5 7.0
Midiron 4.0 3.5 2.5 4.0 4.0 3.6
LSD (0.05)
0.9 1.9 1.5 2.0 1.8 1.6
______________________________________
Greenup Color
Cultivar
3/28 10/6 11/5
Tift 94 2.0 9.0 4.5
(Tifway).sup. (5.0) (5.0)
Tifway 2
2.5 9.0 4.5
Midiron 2.0 3.0 2.0
LSD (0.05)
1.3 1.0 0.9
______________________________________
1992 Ratings
Quality
Cultivar
5/1 6/18 8/4 9/1 9/25 11/23
x
______________________________________
Tift 94 8.5 8.0 7.0 9.0 9.0 8.4
(Tifway)
(6.0) (7.5) (6.0) (8.0)
(8.0) (7.5)
(7.2)
Tifway 2
7.0 8.0 6.0 8.0 7.5 8.0 7.4
Midiron 2.5 4.0 2.0 3.5 2.5 2.5 2.8
LSD (0.05)
1.6 1.2 2.0 1.6 1.8 1.3 1.6
______________________________________
Color
Cultivar
11/23 12/4 12/10
11/94
______________________________________
Tift 94 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0
(Tifway) (4.0) (2.0)
Tifway 2
4.0 3.5 3.0 3.0
Midiron 2.0 1.5 1.0 1.0
LSD (0.05)
1.3 0.9 0.7 0.9
______________________________________
1993 Ratings
Green-
up Color Quality
Cultivar
3/30 4/23 12/17
4/.23
6/9 7/16 9/16 10/19
______________________________________
Tift 94 2.0 8.1 5.5 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.5 8.5
(Tifway) (4.3) (7.5)
(6.0)
(6.0)
(7.0)
Tifway 2
2.0 6.3 5.0 6.5 6.0 8.0 7.0 7.0
Midiron 1.0 3.6 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 2.5
LSD (0.05)
0.8 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.5 1.9 2.2 2.4
______________________________________
Mole
Cricket
Damage
Cultivar
11/23 12/17 x 10/20
12/17
______________________________________
Tift 94 8.5 9.0 8.4 1.0 1.0
(Tifway) (8.0) (6.5)
Tifway 2
7.5 7.0 7.0 2.7 2.5
Midiron 3.0 2.0 2.6 5.4 2.5
LSD (0.05)
2.5 2.7 2.3 2.3 3.2
______________________________________
.sup..dagger. Greenup: 1 = brown, 5 = green; Color: 1 = brown, 9 = green;
Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best; Mole cricket damage: 1 = none, 9 = severe.
.sup..dagger-dbl. Experiment consisted of 2 replications of 2.7 .times.
2.7 m plots. Plots were mowed 3x each week at 12 mm height. Plots receive
560 kg/ha 510-15 and 100 kg/ha N in March of each year and 50 kg/ha N in
each June and August of each year. Plots were irrigated to prevent extrem
stress. Test was sprayed with 2.2 kg/ha 2,4D in March of each year. Test
had 32 entries.
.sup. Tifway 2 was included as one control in our earlier experiments
because its was the most recent release and was expected to be more widel
used than Tifway. This expectation was not realized. Data for Tifway in
this table came from an adjacent replicated test with the same management
conditions.
TABLE 3
______________________________________
1993 ratings.sup..dagger. on bermudagrass test planted 5/18/92 at
Tifton, GA.sup..dagger-dbl..
______________________________________
Quality
Cultivar
4/23 6/9 7/16 9/16 10/19
11/23
12/17
x
______________________________________
Tift 94 7.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 7.5 7.2
Tifdwarf
8.5 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 7.0 8.0 8.4
Tifgreen
8.0 7.0 8.0 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 7.7
LSD (0.05)
1.4 1.2 1.1 0.9 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.2
______________________________________
Mole Cricket
Color Damage
Cultivar
11/23 12/17 10/20 12/17
______________________________________
Tift 94 4.0 5.0 1.0 1.0
Tifdwarf
3.0 3.0 5.4 3.5
Tifgreen
3.5 4.0 5.4 3.5
LSD (0.05)
0.8 1.3 2.2 1.2
______________________________________
.sup..dagger. Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best.
Color: 1 = brown, 5 = green (on 12/17, 9 = green)
Mole cricket damage: 1 = none, 9 = severe
.sup..dagger-dbl. Mowed three times per week at 7 mm. Fertilized with 560
kg/ha 510-15 and 100 kg/ha N in March of each year. Fertilized with 50
kg/ha N in June and August of each year. Sprayed with 2.2 kg/ha 24,D in
March of each year. Irrigated to prevent extreme stress. Test consisted o
2 replications of 2.8 .times. 2.5 m plots.
TABLE 4
______________________________________
Ratings on turf characteristics of bermudagrass
cultivars established July, 1993 in 2.6 .times. 2.4 m plots (two
replications).
Mole
Quality Color Cricket
1994 1995 12/ Damage
8/19 11/27 5/25 7/11 10/4 31/94 7/11/94
10/4/95
______________________________________
Tift 7.5 8.0 6.5 8.0 7.5 4.0 8.0 0.5
94
Tifway
7.5 8.0 6.5 7.5 7.0 4.0 8.0 0.5
LSD 1.0 1.5 2.2 1.5 1.3 0.0 1.3 1.8
(0.05)
______________________________________
Ratings:
Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best
Color: 1 = brown, 9 = dark green
Mole cricket damage: 0 = none, 5 = severe
Note: These entries were part of a 36entry test. This test received 560
kg/ha 510-15 March and 50 kg/ha N monthly from May through August. Plots
were irrigated to prevent moisture stress.
TABLE 5
______________________________________
1991 ratings.sup..dagger. on bermudagrass cultivars at Stillwater,
Oklahoma.sup..dagger-dbl.. (Test conducted by Joel Barber).
Greenup Quality
Cultivar 4/10 4/19 7/10
______________________________________
%
MI22 80 100 7
Tift 94 80 100 7
MI53 50 70 5
Tifgreen Dead Dead Dead
______________________________________
.sup..dagger. Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best
.sup..dagger-dbl. Planted June, 1990. Fertilized with 0.6 to 1.1 kg/ha
N/1000 sq. ft. per month. Mowing height started at 19 mm and gradually
reduced to 10 mm. Plots = single, 9.3 .times. 9.3 m plots.
TABLE 6
______________________________________
Ratings.sup..dagger. on Midiron mutants at Lexington, KY.sup..dagger-dbl.
. (Test
conducted by A.J. Powell).
% Cover 1991 Quality Texture
Cultivar
May July Sept.
1992 1993 9-24-92
1993
______________________________________
x
MI35 43 97 100 5.4 5.8 7 7.5
Tift 94 63 98 100 6.3 6.2 7 7.3
MI53 63 100 100 6.3 6.1 7 7.3
Tifway 2
25 77 100 4.6 5.3 7 7.2
LSD (.05)
49 36 22 2.1 1.7 1.0
______________________________________
.sup..dagger. Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best; Texture: 1 = coarse, 9 = fine
.sup..dagger-dbl. Planted July 15, 1991. Maintained at 19 mm.
TABLE 7
______________________________________
Ratings.sup..dagger. on turf bermudagrass planted at Lake Wales, FL
on 7-24-91. (Test conducted by Southern Turf Nurseries).
Rated in 3-25-93
Cultivar Density Color Quality
______________________________________
Tift 94 7.5 4.0 8.0
Tifdwarf 9.0 4.0 8.5
Tifgreen 9.0 3.5 9.0
LSD (.05) 1.0 0.8 1.3
______________________________________
Rated two weeks after last frost. Mowed once per week at 25 mm. Plots wer
3.9 .times. 4.2 m, two replications. Density: 1 = open, 9 = dense; color:
1 = brown, 5 = green; Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best. Test consisted of 12
cultivars.
TABLE 8
______________________________________
Ratings on turf characteristics of two bermudagrass
cultivars established 6-30-94 in 2.7 .times. 2.7 m plots (2
replications)
x
Characteristics
Tift 94 Tifway LSD (0.05)
______________________________________
1994 (date)
1. Cover (8-19)-% 90 80 20
2. Color (11-27) 9.0 8.5 0.8
(12-31) 4.0 4.0 0.6
1995
1. Quality (5-25) 7.5 8.0 1.2
(7-11) 9.0 8.0 1.2
(10-4) 6.5 5.5 1.3
2. Color (7-11) 8.5 9.0 1.0
______________________________________
Ratings:
Color: 1 = brown, 9 = dark green
Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best
Note: These entries were part of a 107entry test. Plots received 560 kg/h
510-15 in march and 50 kg/ha N monthly from May through August. Plots wer
watered to prevent moisture stress.
TABLE 9
______________________________________
Ratings on turf characteristics of cultivars
established as single 5 cm plugs on 7-12-91 at Fort Bluff, TN.
Plant
Quality Diameter (cm)
11-7-92 10-11-93 11-7-92
______________________________________
Tift 94 5.5 9.0 31
Tifway 6.5 9.0 36
Tifway 2 4.5 7.5 39
LSD (0.05)
3.8 3.8 41
______________________________________
Quality: 1 = poor, 9 = best
Note: This was part of a 20entry test. Variable winter survival for some
entries resulted in a high coefficient of variability and their high LSDs
Plots received 560 kg/ha 510-15 and 100 kg/ha N yearly. Plots were not
irrigated.
TABLE 10
______________________________________
Morphological characteristics of three bermudagrass
cultivars planted as 10 cm plugs in 20 cm pots in the greenhouse
on 10-5-95 and measured 11-9-95.
Cultivars
Tift 94
Midiron Tifway LSD (0.05)
______________________________________
Shoot height (cm)
10.7 20.6 14.9 1.2
Leaf length (cm)
5.6 10.7 7.0 0.5
Leaf width (mm)
1.2 2.2 1.4 0.1
Number of shoots
475 87 95
______________________________________
Each cultivar had six replications (pots). Fifteen observations were made
per replication for leaf length and width. Plants were not defoliated.
TABLE 11
______________________________________
Morphological characteristics of three bermudagrass
cultivars planted in the field in 1992, mowed weekly at 3 cm, and
rated 10-20-95.
Cultivars
Midiron Tift 94 Tifway
______________________________________
Internode length (cm)
Horizontal stolons
2.5 .+-. 1.1
1.2 .+-. 0.5
1.5 .+-. 0.4
Vertical shoots
1.0 .+-. 0.5
0.6 .+-. 0.3
0.8 .+-. 0.3
Leaf length (cm)
2.0 .+-. 0.5
1.3 .+-. 0.4
1.6 .+-. 0.4
Leaf width (mm)
1.9 .+-. 0.8
1.2 .+-. 0.2
1.2 .+-. 0.2
______________________________________
*117 observations for each internode length mean. 78 observations for eac
leaf length and width mean. Plots received 560 kg/ha 510-15 and 100 kg/ha
N yearly. Plots received only natural rainfall.
TABLE 12
______________________________________
Morphological characteristics of three unmowed
bermudagrass cultivars planted as 5 cm plugs on 9-8-95 in the
field and rated 10-20-95.
Cultivars
Tift 94 Midiron Tifway
______________________________________
Internode length (mm).sup..dagger.
1st 25 .+-. 5 24 .+-. 4
26 .+-. 5
2nd 25 .+-. 5 25 .+-. 5
27 .+-. 5
3rd 24 .+-. 5 25 .+-. 5
27 .+-. 4
4th 23 .+-. 6 23 .+-. 5
26 .+-. 4
5th 22 .+-. 5 22 .+-. 6
26 .+-. 4
Shoot number at node.sup..dagger-dbl.
1st 1.2 .+-. 0.5
1.0 .+-. 0.5
1.2 .+-. 0.5
2nd 1.8 .+-. 0.9
1.2 .+-. 0.5
1.9 .+-. 0.7
3rd 2.4 .+-. 0.9
1.4 .+-. 0.7
2.3 .+-. 0.1
4th 2.4 .+-. 1.2
1.3 .+-. 0.7
2.6 .+-. 1.1
5th 2.7 .+-. 1.2
1.5 .+-. 0.8
2.4 .+-. 1.0
Leaf length (cm)
1.4 .+-. 0.3
1.9 .+-. 0.4
1.7 .+-. 0.4
Leaf width (mm)
1.7 .+-. 0.3
2.3 .+-. 0.3
1.7 .+-. 0.3
______________________________________
Each mean based on 50 or more observations. Plots received 560 kg/ha
510-15 and 50 kg/ha N at planting. Plots were irrigated to prevent
moisture stress.
.sup..dagger. Begins with first fully extended internode from growing
point end of stolon.
.sup..dagger-dbl. Begins node of first fully extended internode at
opposite end of growing point of stolon.
Note: Stolons were in a juvenile growth stage.
Claims
1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bermudagrass plant, substantially as herein shown and described, distinguished by the fine textures of the leaf blade, short internodes, and improved color which produces a low growing turf with improved density and quality.
- B. Sigurbjornsson, "Chapter 8 Induced Mutations" Crop Breeding, 1983 ASACSSA, Madison, Wi., pp. 153-176.
Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 19, 1996
Date of Patent: Oct 21, 1997
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture (Washington, DC)
Inventor: Wayne William Hanna (Chula, GA)
Primary Examiner: James R. Feyrer
Attorneys: M. Howard Silverstein, C. Andrew Watkins, John D. Fado
Application Number: 8/634,149
International Classification: A01H 500;
