Performance and Persistence over Two Years of Hybrid Bluegrass Planted in Northwest Oklahoma.

As water use restrictions continue to increase, there is a need for turf-grass with improved performance under hot and dry conditions.  Seed producing hybrids derived from crosses between Texas and Kentucky bluegrass were selected in an effort to develop low-input turf with these traits.  Eleven experimental hybrids, a pure Texas bluegrass, and commercial hybrids and Kentucky bluegrass checks were seeded in late September 2014 at Woodward, OK.  After establishment, the medium input trial (1.5-2.5 mowing height, 3-4lb N/1,000 sq ft) was irrigated to prevent stress or dormancy and the low input trial (3+ mowing height, 0-2lb N/1,000) was not watered, which eventually indicated which entries contained possible heat/drought tolerance, based on turf-quality visual ratings.  On the basis of performance data through 3-1-16, several hybrid entries appeared to contain greater heat/drought tolerance than some of the Kentucky checks; but, similar to some of the commercial hybrids.  Similar to some of the Kentucky checks, some of the hybrids did not persist in the low-input trial but produced fair-acceptable quality in the medium input trial.  The hybrids varied for turf density, genetic color, leaf width, and percent coverage.  Seed yield and quality for some of the experimental hybrids will also be discussed.