By Dr. Brian Schwartz, Professor, University of Georgia, Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics
Ken Morrow, Vice-President, The Turfgrass Group, Inc.
With ten years of TifTuf bermudagrass in commercial sod production, we are very pleased with the industry recognition and consumer demand that has pushed TifTuf to become a frontrunner in the bermudagrass world. Although this success is appreciated, we also hold in high regard the legacy of TifTuf and the contributions of the University of Georgia’s turfgrass program.
It all started when Wayne Hanna bred TifTuf in 1992. Over the years, he took note of its performance using visual observations and comparisons in his research plots at UGA’s Tifton campus. Beginning in 2009, we began more rigorous scientific testing to better understand what led to Dr. Hanna’s initial observations. The result produced a well-tested, impressive turfgrass cultivar jointly developed by The University of Georgia and USDA-ARS.
A lot of work and mountains of research since those early days has generated more data on TifTuf than any other turfgrass. TifTuf production continues to expand each year as there are now 67 licensed growers across the US, most of which are in southern states. These growers are selected for excellence as over 17,500 acres of TifTuf are now in production.
TifTuf has a lot to offer consumers of many interests, but it is the significant improvement in drought tolerance over all older bermudagrasses that resonates the most. TifTuf is the new standard for judging drought tolerance of turf – the research data from across the country tells the story.
Out of the three mechanisms for drought tolerance (avoidance of drought by growing deeper roots, escape of drought by going dormant, and tolerance of drought which is a physiological adaptive mechanism), TifTuf tolerates drought because it simply uses less water due to physiological adjustments during times of water scarcity.
Years ago, this drought tolerance was tested in Tifton and Atlanta using soil moisture probes that prove TifTuf uses less water underneath the soil in comparison with other Bermudas, such as Tifway – an impressive 38% less water!
All TifTuf is grown under the blue-tag certified cultivar program since our expectation is that it remains genetically pure, even a decade after it was released from UGA. In just ten years, sales and installations exceed 2.5 billion ft2 (over 23,000 hectares) which calculates to more than 77.8 billion gallons of water saved. That’s enough water to fill nearly 118,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools (about 660,000 gallons each or 2.5 million litres)!
In 2020 a detailed article posted in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture showed that in the Southeast US, a new TifTuf lawn installation would have a payback period of less than four years thanks to reduced water use. As consumers look to save money on utilities, reduced water costs are often referenced as a key attribute. TifTuf’s leaf texture is very fine with a vibrant bright green colour. When a customer needs to replace or match a section of Tifway, TifTuf can easily blend in next to the existing turfgrass with no visual difference noted…except when drought sets in, of course.
Wear tolerance is a very important trait as well, and we are thrilled with how TifTuf holds up under the stress of sports play. Initial testing that showed how TifTuf can hold up better than Tifway and other bermudagrasses when beaten up in research plots has translated into its use on sports fields in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, among others.
Just as TifTuf has been an excellent option for athletic fields, it has also been able to hold up to the wear of children and family pets. The foundation of TifTuf’s wear tolerance centers around its dense canopy and upright leaves; both morphological features help it hold up better to traffic. Second, it quickly recovers from sustained damage when watered and fertilised to promote recovery.
Green is good, and TifTuf stays greener longer. Not only under drought stress, but due to its greater cold tolerance during the transition times of spring green-up and fall dormancy. During spring green-up, TifTuf often breaks dormancy earlier than other Bermudas. For fall dormancy, it stays greener further into autumn by several weeks longer than others. Sure, it will eventually go dormant in the winter temperatures, but it brings a rush of Spring Fever when soil temperatures warm again.
A decade after farmers started producing TifTuf for the consumer market, we are elated that TifTuf has distinguished itself as a beautiful, dominant grass with so many positive attributes. Its drought tolerance allows substantial water savings in home and commercial lawns, municipal facilities, school campuses, golf courses and sports fields.
TifTuf is also listed in the Water-Wise Landscape Guide as a drought tolerant turfgrass choice crafted for the Georgia Piedmont area, where it is used as an education tool for water conservation in the entire metro region of Atlanta, Georgia. Because TifTuf maintains acceptable quality longer during a drought, fewer irrigation “events” are needed, resulting in greater water savings over time. Consumers and water providers benefit from decreased irrigation, especially during a time of rainfall scarcity.
The Turfgrass Group and UGA look forward to continuing our work to bring the best grasses to market…and seeing what impacts TifTuf will continue to have in the future across the world. Learning never stops.
