Horticulture Research Station

Bermudagrass Cultivar Trial Subjected to Simulated Athletic Field Traffic

Authors: Adam Thoms (Iowa State University) , Ben Pease (Iowa State University) , Nick Christians (Iowa State University)

Abstract

Interest in bermudagrass use as an athletic field playing surface has grown recently with the release of more cold tolerant cultivars of bermudagrass. Bermudagrass is more traffic tolerant than Kentucky bluegrass in many situations. It also performs better during the summer months due to the C4 photosynthesis pathways compared with the C3 pathways of Kentucky bluegrass. For these reasons, many Iowa athletic field managers are curious about the performance of bermudagrass as an athletic field playing surface in Iowa. The objectives of this study were to compare the performance and traffic tolerance of cold tolerant bermudagrass cultivars with a simulated Iowa high school football traffic season. This is the first year of a two-year study.

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How to Cite: Thoms, A. , Pease, B. & Christians, N. (2018) “Bermudagrass Cultivar Trial Subjected to Simulated Athletic Field Traffic”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports. 2017(1).