| Wednesday, September 23, 2026 |
| Turfgrass research explores water savings, year-round quality | |
 | Researchers at Oklahoma State University and Mississippi State University are evaluating bluemuda turfgass, a system that combines bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass to improve year-round turf quality while reducing irrigation needs in transition-zone climates. Choosing specific types of turfgrass to thrive year-round is a little more straightforward in states like California and Florida, which stay consistently warm, and further north in Minnesota and Iowa, where the weather is consistently cooler. But states in the transition zone, which include Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi, experience both extreme summer heat and harsh winter freezes. Bluemuda turfgrass combines warm-season bermudagrass with cool-season Kentucky bluegrass. The multistate project is evaluating whether the dual system can provide year-round green turf, reduce irrigation needs and lower maintenance costs in transition-zone climates. In Mississippi, the bluemuda system could provide year-round green turf without the annual expense of overseeding, said Barry Stewart, an MSU professor in plant and soil sciences. |
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