Celebration Bermudagrass Rated #1 for Wear Tolerance, Lower Surface Hardness

A NC State University study has ranked Celebration™ Bermudagrass first in several categories that measure the performance of bermudagrass cultivars.

The study, which began in 2001 and is ongoing under the direction of Dr. Charles Peacock at NCSU, has focused on the question of which bermudagrasses are best for particular turf situations. The study includes newer cultivars, as well as Tifway and TifSport, two older cultivars that are known to exhibit excellent performance. Eight bermudagrass cultivars, including Celebration, have been evaluated for numerous performance characteristics that will prove helpful to turf managers when choosing a cultivar. These parameters include:

 

  • Establishment rate
  • Fall-color retention
  • Salinity tolerance
  • Disease incidence
  • Low-temperature stress tolerance
  • Nitrogen fertility requirement
  • Drought-stress tolerance
  • Wear tolerance
  • Mowing-height differential
  • Rate of lateral spread
  • Overall turf quality


Trial Results To Date

Trial results thus far have included overall turf quality performance, wear tolerance, surface hardness, and low-temperature stress tolerance. The information below summarizes the results that are pertinent to Celebration.

Trial results thus far have included overall turf quality performance, wear tolerance, surface hardness, and low-temperature stress tolerance. The information below summarizes the results that are pertinent to Celebration.

 

Overall Turf Quality Performance

Turf quality ratings were recorded biweekly throughout the growing season to reflect performance differences among cultivars. The ratings are based on visual ratings on a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being the poorest rating and 9 being the best.

Turf quality ratings take into account a combination of characteristics such as texture, density, color and other traits that contribute to the overall appearance of the turfgrass.

Celebration, TifSport, Patriot and Tifway performed equally well, above other cultivars. These cultivars had a higher mean turf-quality rating averaged over the entire 2004 growing season than did Tifton 10, Quickstand, GN-1 and Navy Blue.

 

Wear tolerance

Wear tolerance is an important issue when looking at any turfgrass and typically even more so when selecting a bermudagrass cultivar, simply by the nature of bermuda’s primary uses in high traffic areas. Bermudagrass is well adapted to handle traffic and, most importantly, to recover quickly from wear damage. However, it was found by the study that not all bermudagrass cultivars hold up equally well under this stress.

Celebration and Tifsport had the highest ratings, followed closely by Tifway and Patriot, by having the highest average turf-quality ratings at the end of the trial. Tifsport is known to have a relatively slow establishment rate, but its ability to withstand applied stress with minimal tissue damage proved a greater asset.

 

Surface Hardness

Data from 2005 found that Celebration exhibited the lowest surface hardness of any non-trafficked cultivar. Excessive surface hardness has been directly correlated to an increase in player injury on athletic fields. Celebration and TifSport led the way, followed closely by Tifway and Patriot by having the highest average turf-quality ratings at the end of the trial.

 

Using this information

Classifying cultivars based on all criteria in the trial and selecting the “best” one(s) can be problematic. It is important to look at each cultivar on an individual basis in order to choose the cultivar that is best suited for specific needs. The specific turf grass application, site management capabilities, and environmental factors in the localized area should be considered when selecting a turf grass cultivar.

This NC Turfgrass Foundation-funded project is now in its fifth year. A final growing season will complete the wear-tolerance and wear-recovery data. Up-to-date information related to NCSU bermudagrass trials can be accessed at www.turffiles.ncsu.edu.

Celebration Bermudagrass is a proprietary, patented variety of Sod Solutions, Inc., an international turfgrass development company. Celebration is ideal for golf, sports, commercial and home lawn applications. Sod Solutions has also developed and released Palmetto® St. Augustine, EMPIRE® Zoysia, and Sapphire™ St. Augustine. For more information, visit sodsolutions.com.

Note: the information above was derived from information written and released by NC State University and its staff.