Assessing drought resistance in bermudagrass using dual methodologies

Water scarcity poses a significant challenge to the turf industry. Developing cultivars that can thrive with less water while maintaining high quality is an effective strategy to reduce irrigation demands. The objective of this study was to evaluate the drought resistance of eight hybrid bermudagrasses (<italic>Cynodon dactylon</italic> Pers. × <italic>C. transvaalensis</italic> Burtt-Davy) in field trials. The study was conducted at Perkins, Oklahoma (USA) over two years. In the first year, plots were monitored three times per week based on canopy wilt symptoms. When visible wilt symptoms resulted in 75% or less green cover in a plot, 2.54 cm of water was applied to that specific plot. Irrigation applications ranged from 0.8 cm (TifB16117) to 29.7 cm ['OKC1119' (Latitude 36®)] over 78 d. The number of days under drought before the first irrigation event ranged from 13.3 d (Latitude 36 and OSU1682) to 64.6 d (TifB16117). In the second year, the plots underwent a 40-d acute drought with no irrigation. At the end of the study, turfgrass quality ranged from 2.0 (Latitude 36 and OSU1682) to 6.3 ['DT-1' (TifTuf®), OSU2082, and OSU2094]. While TifTuf has set the standard for drought-resistant bermudagrass, this study identified experimental selections with comparable or superior drought resistance, offering promising alternatives for regions facing water restrictions or prolonged droughts.