Researchers are testing 60 combinations of bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass to evaluate their potential to maintain year-round turf quality and reduce irrigation and overseeding costs.
Researchers at Oklahoma State University and Mississippi State University are evaluating whether combining two turfgrass species can help playing fields stay green through summer heat and winter freezes.
Known as bluemuda, the system pairs warm-season bermudagrass with cool-season Kentucky bluegrass. The research explores whether the combination could improve year-round turf quality while reducing irrigation needs and maintenance costs in transition-zone climates.
Managing Seasonal Limitations
In transition-zone states such as Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi, turfgrass must withstand both hot summers and freezing winter conditions. Those extremes create challenges for warm-season and cool-season grasses alike, according to a press release.
“In states like Oklahoma, both warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses have limitations,” said Mingying Xiang, assistant professor in OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and project leader. “A warm-season grass like bermudagrass goes dormant in the winter, while a cool-season grass like Kentucky bluegrass requires a lot of water in the summertime.”
By growing the two species together, researchers hope to identify combinations that maintain a green playing surface across seasons.
Potential Savings on Seed and Overseeding
Bluemuda could offer an alternative to annually overseeding bermudagrass with perennial ryegrass to maintain winter color.
“A common practice for maintaining green turf year-round in Oklahoma and surrounding states is to overseed bermudagrass with perennial ryegrass each year,” Xiang said. “For a typical 1.3-acre football field, our estimates indicate that bluemuda turfgrass could reduce initial seed costs up to 45% compared to the traditional system. If the Kentucky bluegrass persists for multiple years, the long-term savings could be even greater.”
That persistence could also help Mississippi field managers avoid the annual expense of overseeding, according to Barry Stewart, an MSU professor in plant and soil sciences.
“We have no doubt that the Kentucky bluegrass will do well in the first fall seeding,” Stewart said. “Identifying a bermudagrass/Kentucky bluegrass combination that provides a sustainable green playing surface will be a boon to Mississippi field managers who manage winter and spring sports like soccer, baseball and softball.”
Testing 60 Grass Combinations
The project began in June and include two research locations in Oklahoma and one in Mississippi. Researchers are comparing grass combinations to determine which perform best under the conditions at each site.
“These two grasses grown together will perform differently than bermudagrass and perennial ryegrass do, so we are evaluating six bermudagrasses and 10 Kentucky bluegrasses in 60 different combinations to see which performs best across the three locations,” Xiang said.
Seeking Input From Turf Managers
The team is also surveying bluemuda stakeholders and potential users about challenges with the system and priorities for its future development.
Those interested in participating can contact Xiang at my.xiang@okstate.edu.
