Responses of Various Buffalograss Cultivars to Drought Stress.

Eight buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides L.) cultivars (Bison, NE-BFG07-01, Bowie, Cody, Texoka, Legacy, Prestige, and 609) were studied in a greenhouse to evaluate their responses to drought. Grasses were grown in cups (9 cm diameter and 7 cm height) placed in galvanized cans (45.72 cm diameter and 55.88 cm height) containing fritted clay as the culture medium. Four replications were used in a RCB design trial. After 4 months of the establishment period (normal growth, daily irrigation, weekly fertilization, and clipping at 2.5 cm height), grasses were evaluated for 6 weeks under drought stress. Shoot length and clippings fresh and DM weights (oven-dried at 65º C) were determined weekly. Grass general quality was daily evaluated. The results showed shoot length and clippings fresh and DM weights of all the cultivars decreased linearly as drought period progressed. However, at each harvest, there were some differences found in the shoot length or fresh and DM weights of the various cultivars. There was no measurable growth by any plant after 4 weeks growth under drought. Grass quality followed the same pattern (decreased) as the shoot length and clippings fresh and DM weights. General quality scores were 9 for all the cultivars at the initiation of the drought stress. These values decreased to 8 for all the cultivars after two weeks under drought. Three weeks after exposure to drought, these values ranged between 6 to7 for various cultivars. The scores ranged between 4 and 6 after 4 weeks under drought, then, sharply decreased weekly and on week 6 after exposure to drought all cultivars scored less than 5 for quality. Based on these results, the tested cultivars exhibited different levels of drought tolerance, 609 performed the best and Legacy the worst, the rest of the cultivars were between these two in response to drought stress.