Performance of turf‐type bermudagrass cultivars in the upper and lower limits of the european transition zone

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is one of the most widely cultivated turfgrass species throughout the world. It has several important attributes, such as heat and drought tolerance, and one big disadvantage, which is susceptibility to cold temperatures. Although many seeded bermudagrass cultivars are widely used in Europe, research is warranted on new varieties released in recent decades. Two identical field studies were conducted in Valencia, Spain (39 degrees N lat) and Legnaro, Italy (45 degrees N lat) to evaluate the turfgrass quality, winter dormancy, and spring green-up of two new bermudagrass releases in Europe ('Arden 15' and 'MBG 002') and three older bermudagrasses ('Blackjack', 'Common', and 'Paul 1'). Even though bermudagrasses were successfully cultivated in the cooler temperature zone (45 degrees N lat), cultivars exhibited poorer establishment and longer winter dormancy as a consequence of the lower temperatures compared with those grown in the warmer temperature zone (39 degrees N lat). Cultivars Arden 15 and MBG 002 were able to mitigate the effects of low temperature that affected the older cultivars, especially during spring green-up, which is an essential characteristic when growing bermudagrass in the upper limit of the transition zone.