OSU researchers saying Bermuda is plant of future

by John David Sutter, NewsOK.com Staff Writer
2008-05-15
STILLWATER — At a party, Bermuda grass would be that loud-mouthed guest rooted to your sofa long after all the drinks are gone.

But the fact that the grass — widely used in Oklahoma lawns — won't dry up or die off without a fight may make it a prime candidate to thrive in a world with rising temperatures, water shortages and expanding populations.

In short, it may be a grass of the future — a grass that can thrive in an era of global warming.

Tough grass

Researchers at Oklahoma State University say they already have evidence that the southern, hot-season grass is creeping its way northward.

"We predict that Bermuda grass will grow farther north in the future as the world becomes warmer,” said Dr. Yanqi Wu, an assistant professor and grass breeder in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department at OSU, which has become a national leader in Bermuda grass research.

"(Scarcity of) water is an international, worldwide limiting factor for human beings. We fully realize that drought-tolerant turfgrass will be very important to this nation and to the world,” Wu said.

Much of the interest in Bermuda has come from professional sports teams, which "spend their money like water” to choose the toughest grass, said Dr. Dennis Martin, who manages OSU's turfgrass research. The Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins all use Bermuda grasses bred in Stillwater, Martin said. High school athletic fields north of the usual Bermuda-growing zones are installing the grasses, too, he said.

That becomes possible as people like Wu breed strains of the grass that can withstand cold snaps.

‘It's good on drought'

One dealer who handles OSU's grasses, Gene McVey, president of Johnston Seed Company of Enid, said his Bermuda grass sales have doubled in the past three years, mainly because Bermuda-type grasses are being tried further north.

No matter the outcome of climate change, water shortages associated with growing populations will force Americans to grow more drought-resistant grasses, said William Meyer, a doctor of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

"The big limitation here isn't so much the heat but the fact that there's so many people in New Jersey and the northeast, and there isn't enough water to go around,” Meyer said. "Water is the limiting factor that's really big, and that's one place that Bermuda really does play in — it's good on drought.”

In much of the Southwest, municipal water laws prohibit residents from planting grasses that need lots of water, Meyer said.

By industry accounts, and according to Martin, grass is the most-irrigated crop in the United States, mostly due to the fact that so many homeowners have grass lawns that they water. About 40 million U.S. acres are covered in grass, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. That's an area only slightly smaller than Oklahoma.

Part of the grass' draw is aesthetic, since many suburbanites desire the "showcase lawn,” Martin said. But the main reason Martin and Wu are concerned about the future of grass is that it's also a major source of erosion control. Without it, rain would wash soil into rivers, causing pollution and bringing more pests; and wind would scrape off fertile topsoil.

Top-notch weather resistance

For looks, Bermuda grass isn't much good. It turns a dormant yellow color from October until about this time of year, and without water it can look like straw.

But it's top-notch at resisting intense weather and drought.

Bermuda grass doesn't need much water, and it often doesn't require any irrigation. It's difficult to kill, in part because it spreads like mad — using shoots that stretch for new territory above and below ground. That's the reason the grass can crawl into your flower bed.

Bermuda's toughness was first developed in Africa. The grass is thought to have traveled from the savannahs to theUnited States in slave ships, according to university reports, where it was mixed with straw used as padding on the floor. The Land Run of 1889 brought the grass into Oklahoma, Martin said. Even through it's a foreign plant — and often considered a weed — it is well adapted to conditions here, he said, making it a more environmentally friendly choice than some needier grasses.

Other breeding programs also are looking for drought-resistant grasses of other types than Bermuda, said Jim Novak, spokesman for Turfgrass Producers International. Bermuda grass can't stand severe cold, so it won't make it in the far northern United States, he said. For those areas, drought-resistant varieties of other species of grass, such as zoysia, are being researched.

Grass on tour

T he Turfgrass Center in Stillwater, where researchers search for the best Bermuda grass, comes across as an outdoor museum for grass specimens from around the world.

On a tour, Martin showed off a half-dozen putting greens and checkerboard fields planted with so-called cool season grasses. They feel soft under your feet, have names like "velvet” and "colonial,” and come in deep shades of green that homeowners prefer. But they need constant pampering to survive Oklahoma's "stressful” weather, Martin said.

Far from the putting greens on an empty field, Wu manages a grid-like nursery where he grows thousands of individual Bermuda plants from sprouts. The plants are left to fend for themselves, taking any punches Oklahoma's climate can throw.

If they make it (or if they're "elite performers,” as Wu puts it) then they go on to another round of testing in which Martin will infect them with fungi and diseases.

Indoor lab tests also put the grass through weather extremes that would occur over several hundred years, the researchers said.

So far, the best strains have been given the names "Patriot,” because it was developed after the Sept. 11 attacks, and "Riviera,” because it reminded a buyer of the Mediterranean. One of the best test grasses is called "OKC 70-18.” It will get a name when it's ready to sell on the market, Martin said.

The primary goal of the OSU researchers at the moment is to use natural crossing methods to breed a Bermuda grass that will do well in cold weather.

Wu roams the rows of his nursery looking for the plants best fit for that mission.

He talks to them. He asks them how they're doing out in the elements.

Those that do best will be "drafted” for national testing — and possibly widespread use.

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	OSU researchers saying Bermuda is plant of future by John David Sutter, NewsOK.com Staff Writer 2008-05-15 STILLWATER — At a party, Bermuda grass would be that loud-mouthed guest rooted to your sofa long after all the drinks are gone. But the fact that the grass — widely used in Oklahoma lawns — won't dry up or die off without a fight may make it a prime candidate to thrive in a world with rising temperatures, water shortages and expanding populations. In short, it may be a grass of the future — a grass that can thrive in an era of global warming. Tough grass Researchers at Oklahoma State University say they already have evidence that the southern, hot-season grass is creeping its way northward. "We predict that Bermuda grass will grow farther north in the future as the world becomes warmer,” said Dr. Yanqi Wu, an assistant professor and grass breeder in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department at OSU, which has become a national leader in Bermuda grass research. "(Scarcity of) water is an international, worldwide limiting factor for human beings. We fully realize that drought-tolerant turfgrass will be very important to this nation and to the world,” Wu said. Much of the interest in Bermuda has come from professional sports teams, which "spend their money like water” to choose the toughest grass, said Dr. Dennis Martin, who manages OSU's turfgrass research. The Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins all use Bermuda grasses bred in Stillwater, Martin said. High school athletic fields north of the usual Bermuda-growing zones are installing the grasses, too, he said. That becomes possible as people like Wu breed strains of the grass that can withstand cold snaps. ‘It's good on drought' One dealer who handles OSU's grasses, Gene McVey, president of Johnston Seed Company of Enid, said his Bermuda grass sales have doubled in the past three years, mainly because Bermuda-type grasses are being tried further north. No matter the outcome of climate change, water shortages associated with growing populations will force Americans to grow more drought-resistant grasses, said William Meyer, a doctor of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "The big limitation here isn't so much the heat but the fact that there's so many people in New Jersey and the northeast, and there isn't enough water to go around,” Meyer said. "Water is the limiting factor that's really big, and that's one place that Bermuda really does play in — it's good on drought.” In much of the Southwest, municipal water laws prohibit residents from planting grasses that need lots of water, Meyer said. By industry accounts, and according to Martin, grass is the most-irrigated crop in the United States, mostly due to the fact that so many homeowners have grass lawns that they water. About 40 million U.S. acres are covered in grass, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. That's an area only slightly smaller than Oklahoma. Part of the grass' draw is aesthetic, since many suburbanites desire the "showcase lawn,” Martin said. But the main reason Martin and Wu are concerned about the future of grass is that it's also a major source of erosion control. Without it, rain would wash soil into rivers, causing pollution and bringing more pests; and wind would scrape off fertile topsoil. Top-notch weather resistance For looks, Bermuda grass isn't much good. It turns a dormant yellow color from October until about this time of year, and without water it can look like straw. But it's top-notch at resisting intense weather and drought. Bermuda grass doesn't need much water, and it often doesn't require any irrigation. It's difficult to kill, in part because it spreads like mad — using shoots that stretch for new territory above and below ground. That's the reason the grass can crawl into your flower bed. Bermuda's toughness was first developed in Africa. The grass is thought to have traveled from the savannahs to theUnited States in slave ships, according to university reports, where it was mixed with straw used as padding on the floor. The Land Run of 1889 brought the grass into Oklahoma, Martin said. Even through it's a foreign plant — and often considered a weed — it is well adapted to conditions here, he said, making it a more environmentally friendly choice than some needier grasses. Other breeding programs also are looking for drought-resistant grasses of other types than Bermuda, said Jim Novak, spokesman for Turfgrass Producers International. Bermuda grass can't stand severe cold, so it won't make it in the far northern United States, he said. For those areas, drought-resistant varieties of other species of grass, such as zoysia, are being researched. Grass on tour T he Turfgrass Center in Stillwater, where researchers search for the best Bermuda grass, comes across as an outdoor museum for grass specimens from around the world. On a tour, Martin showed off a half-dozen putting greens and checkerboard fields planted with so-called cool season grasses. They feel soft under your feet, have names like "velvet” and "colonial,” and come in deep shades of green that homeowners prefer. But they need constant pampering to survive Oklahoma's "stressful” weather, Martin said. Far from the putting greens on an empty field, Wu manages a grid-like nursery where he grows thousands of individual Bermuda plants from sprouts. The plants are left to fend for themselves, taking any punches Oklahoma's climate can throw. If they make it (or if they're "elite performers,” as Wu puts it) then they go on to another round of testing in which Martin will infect them with fungi and diseases. Indoor lab tests also put the grass through weather extremes that would occur over several hundred years, the researchers said. So far, the best strains have been given the names "Patriot,” because it was developed after the Sept. 11 attacks, and "Riviera,” because it reminded a buyer of the Mediterranean. One of the best test grasses is called "OKC 70-18.” It will get a name when it's ready to sell on the market, Martin said. The primary goal of the OSU researchers at the moment is to use natural crossing methods to breed a Bermuda grass that will do well in cold weather. Wu roams the rows of his nursery looking for the plants best fit for that mission. He talks to them. He asks them how they're doing out in the elements. Those that do best will be "drafted” for national testing — and possibly widespread use.

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

OSU researchers saying Bermuda is plant of future